


Jade Eyes

by Akoia



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Batfamily (DCU), Crimes & Criminals, Family, Found Family, Gun Violence, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Murder, Organized Crime, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:08:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23112211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoia/pseuds/Akoia
Summary: Sera Williams is the promising apprentice of Gotham's most prolific theif. Sera's master leaves Gotham and hands her his title. Now the ten-year-old has to contend with Gotham's vigilante problem on her own.Her life changes when she comes face to face with the caped crusader himself who has taken offense to her criminal activities. He's determined to stop her and she's determined not tobestopped. But she might not have a choice.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: 3/14/20

Sera knew when to keep her mouth shut. She looked at her teacher, Elijah, who spoke in whispered tones with Carmine Falcone. This was something big, she could sense it. Working with Falcone could open doors for them. She stood between two of Falcone's men, trying to project confidence. 

"This will be my apprentice's first solo operation," her master said, standing up. "She will not disappoint you, sir." 

Falcone's eyes passed over her, distaste clear on his face. He walked closer to her and grabbed her mask, ripping the fabric off. What he found was an impassive little girl with big green eyes. She looked like any other little girl if it wasn't for the emotionless frost that covered her face. Falcone wasn't one to be caught off guard by anything. He threw the fabric back in her face. "You better not fuck this up, kid," he warned her. "Or you're both done."

She bowed at the hips. "I will not fail," she said, her voice was quiet. Sera didn't think it would be appropriate to tell him that she had never failed before, and stealing a little necklace would be child's play. Overconfidence did not earn trust. She straightened her back and looked up at him, avoiding his eyes. 

Her master puts a hand on her shoulder. "She'll bring it to you by the end of the week." He put his hand on her shoulder and the two of them walked through the ornate wooden doors. No-one stopped them while they walked through the halls, but a few people did look at them curiously when they passed. She was sure they made quite a sight. Her master was known in the city as Printless. He left no trace. And five years ago the city watched with bated breath when they learned he'd taken on a student. 

They didn't stop until they were back in their apartment. Sera sat down on the couch and watched her master walk around the apartment. "I'm leaving for a few months," he said. "There are things that require...personal attention." He took off his mask and she winced when she saw his smirk. He leaned down until the two of them were eye to eye. "If you fuck this up, _I swear to God_ , I will make you regret it. Do I make myself clear?" 

She jerked her head up and down, her eyes foggy, and looking past him. He grabbed her face, fingers pressing into her cheeks. "I said, Am. I. Clear?" He growled. 

"Yes, master," she whispered.

He chuckled and took his hand away, patting her on the face. "Good," he grabbed a duffle bag from beside the couch. "I expect you to keep business running while I'm gone. Get new customers if you can. Diversify. I permit you to do whatever you think is necessary to expand, yeah?"

"Where are you going?" She asked curiously.

His face tightened and she ducked her head. "I'm heading to Fawcett," he said. She wanted to ask when he thought he'd be back but didn't want to push her luck.

Sera had a few days to plan her heist. She would need an entrance and exit plans. And maybe a new suit. The one she wore was the same thing she got when she trained with her master. She wanted to look more professional. 

He took thirty minutes to pack. "I'm taking the bike," he said, grabbing the keys from the bowl. "You'll have to find some other way to get around the city." He opened the door and looked back at her for a second. "I'm serious, Sera," he said. "If you fuck this up, I'll kill you."

"I understand, master," she said. He slammed the door and the cheap hotel art on the wall fell, shattering. Glass slid scattered all over the floor and Sera sighed deeply. She'd have to clean it up but there was no rush. 

* * *

Sera's new mouthpiece was made of hard metal that covered up everything under her eyes. She strapped her two Escrima sticks to her back, tightening the straps around her chest. She had a belt where she kept her equipment. She'd raided her master's closet for a few things. Like the grappling hook and the smoke bombs. The last part of her equipment was the gun she kept on her hip. A sleek black Bretta 92. Elijah had taught her from the beginning not to leave home without it. Sera was always prepared even if she had no intention of ever killing anyone. 

Sera laced up her boots, tucking the pant leg of her suit inside. Standing up, Sera saw herself in the mirror. She stood straighter, puffing out her chest. Sera tried not to look too proud but she felt cool. Like a ninja. She ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. It only reached down to her shoulders but it was still getting in her way. She pulled it back and tied it up. Good enough. 

When she was sure she was ready she slipped out a window. She didn't want any security cameras catching her. There were none in Park Row, but if a camera at a convince store caught her, then Elijah would punish her. Sera climbed up the apartment building from the fire escape and up on the roof. Excitement bubbled in her stomach and she took a running start to the edge. Sera pushed off with her left leg and jumped to the building next to her. She continued on her path. Sera had to use her grappling hook a few times to swing around one building and over to another. 

Her destination was on the other side of the city. When she landed on the roof of the museum the city was dark. The necklace was in room 1509 of the Gotham City Museum Of Natural History. There was a skeleton crew of exhausted guards that wouldn't be expecting Sera.

Sera pulled out another of her fun gadgets. A small laser glass cutter Elijah had stolen from Wayne Enterprise a few years before he took her in. The glass cutter hummed when she flipped it on. Sera put it against the glass and cut a circle wide enough for her to fit through. She winced when the glass slipped and shattered on the ground below. When no one came running Sera jumped through the hole and rolled when she touched the ground. She'd have five minutes before the silent alarm started ringing and the GCPD would be on her within fifteen minutes. So she needed to move. 

"Hey!" A voice shouted at her from down the hall. Sera whipped around, pulling her Escrima sticks off her back. The person who had yelled at her was a guard. He looked young but beefy. He reached for his walkie-talkie and Sera rushed him. Sera ducked and kicked his feet out from under him. Sera clocked him on the back of his head, knocking him out cold. Sera stood and rushed down the hall. 

She'd lost thirty seconds fighting the guard and needed to get to room 1509 before she hit the two-minute mark. The necklace room was unguarded. It might have been because there was an electric lock on the solid nine-inch steel door. Sera stood on her toes and plugged Elijah's decrypter into the lock's USB port. She lost another fifteen seconds getting the door open. 

Sera missed the two-minute mark leaving her thirty seconds to grab the target. Sera pushed open the door and groaned when she saw the red lights twisting around the room. Alarms. She had to twist her body in every direction to avoid touching them. Sera stood in front of the glass case that held the necklace. Ten seconds. She lifted the glass box and grabbed the necklace. Alarms screamed through the building and she cursed. Five seconds-not that it mattered with the shrieking alarms.

One requirement before she'd be able to make her escape. Sera pulled out a card from her back pocket. The back was a single eye and the front was blank. She laid it down on the pillow where the necklace had sat. She heard footsteps as the other guards rushed up to the floor she was on.

Sera kept calm. The mission wasn't lost because she'd triggered the alarm. Sera slammed the metal door shut t, using the manual lock to keep it barred. It would buy her a little bit of time. She looked at the window that overlooked the city. Sera was on floor fifteen but there was another building less than fifty feet to the left. And she didn't have time to come up with a better plan. Sera grabbed her Bretta and shot the window five times. The glass cracked and she put her gun away. With grappling hook in hand, she backed up until her back touched the wall. Sera screamed and ran forward, slamming into the glass. She covered her face with both arms when the window gave. 

Sera was looking up at the Gotham City night sky. She saw the Bat Symbol against the smog. It felt like she was flying and a smile stretched across her face. Sera twisted her body and aimed her hook, shooting it, and swinging toward the next building over. She landed on the roof, rolling a few times when she lost her footing. Sera slowly stood on shaking legs. She looked over the edge of the building. Police sirens were already coming. She grunted and stuffed the necklace in her utility belt. She needed to get to Falcone. Mission priority number one.

* * *

Falcone's men were standing at the front door and tightened their hands on their guns when they saw her approaching. She took a deep breath a removed her facepiece. "I brought Mister Falcone's package," she said.

"Right...," one man said, looking her over suspiciously. "He's in a meetin' right now, so why don't you wait. Come on, I'll show you where you can sit until he's ready." He turned and Sera followed him into the house. It was the same as the first time she'd visited with her master. But he took her into a drawing room and gestured for her to take a seat on a plush couch. She flopped down, letting her head fall on the back. She wanted to take a nap.

"How long do you think he'll be?" She asked the guard.

"Not a clue, kiddo," he said. "Want me to put on some cartoons or..."

"That won't be necessary," she said with a chuckle. "Uh, maybe the local news." She wanted to see if she'd made it on. There had to have been cameras. If she made it on, she'd be getting an angry call from her master. But a more vein part of her was hoping that someone caught her leaping from the window. Glass flying around her. The way she turned herself over and dynamically swung away to safety.

"Breaking news, this morning at one fifteen security cameras caught the image of someone sneaking through the Gotham City Museum of Natural History. The only item stolen was the priceless Estonia Jade, once believed to have belonged to Kathrin the Great. There was one guard injured during the robbery. We go now, live to our correspondent on the scene. Jacob, what does it look like down there?"

The image shifted and a tall man with a mic snapped to attention. "Well, Julia, the scene out here is nothing short of chaos." The camera panned over the police running in and out of the building and the ambulance that was helping the guard. "The thief got in through the roof, cutting out glass where they jumped down and headed immediately to the room where the Estonia Jade was being kept. That was when the thief alerted a guard and then assaulted them. But when the thief set off the alarm, they locked themself in the jewel room and jumped from the window. Leaving behind a familiar calling card," he said, pulling out the playing card from his jacket pocket. "We were able to deduce that the thief is not, in fact, the infamous Printless. But that leaves the question, who is it, and why are they using Printless' symbolism? There's been no word from the police-"

"You can turn it off now," she said. The man clicked it off and she sighed. Her vanity wasn't enough to satisfy her when he remembered that her master was going to give her one hell of a beating when he returned from whatever business he was conducting in Fawcett.

"Coulda been worse," the man said with a shrug. "The Bat coulda showed up."

"I guess," she muttered. "But the whole point is that Printless doesn't leave a trace. Is your boss going to be mad at me?"

"Doubt it," the man said. "And don't worry too much. We all fuck up a little bit on our first operation." He set his gun down on a chair and leaned against it. "My first time out, we was robbin a bank and I accidentally said one of our guys' name. Got my ass beat for it later, though."

"What a shame," she said. But it did make her feel a little better. That someone as experienced as him messed up too. She knew her master would be less forgiving. She could worry when he came back. And maybe if she managed to build something while he was gone, he'd overlook it.

She heard the door open and instantly stood up, putting her facepiece back on. Falcone walked in with a brightly colored man. She felt her blood chill. Everyone knew who that man was. She straightened her back and wiped all emotion off her face. Falcone seemed surprised to see her. "Why'd no one tell me she was back, huh?!" He demanded of the man who had picked his gun back up. "Ah, kiddo, you got something shiny for me."

"Of course," she said, pulling it out of her belt. It glittered prettily in the lamplight. "Here you are, sir," she said, handing it over.

"A thief that hands over the goods before they get their payment, you really are new, aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow and she ducked her head. "Aw, don't worry about it kid," he said. "Oy, Tony, go get the kid's cash," he ordered. The man with the gun-Tony-went and did as he was told immediately.

A high pitched giggle caused her to tense her shoulders. She looked at the man with Falcone. "A new kiddie on the scene, hm?" He tilted his head to the side, circling her several times. "Now I did hear that Printless had picked up a stray a few years ago. Guess the rumors were true."

"They were, I am his apprentice," she said, tucking her hands behind her back. She was a professional now. She needed to act professionally. Even when she was scared enough that she was sure she was going to wet herself if he jumped at her. Sera knew who this was. The Joker. 

"You got a name?" He asked.

"No, sir," she said.

He hummed and shook his head. "That's a shame. The media's going to give you one if you aren't careful." He tapped his pointer finger against his cheek and his grin widened. "You and your teacher got a theme?"

"No," she said more firmly. Her master hated themed capes.

He scoffed and grabbed her chin, lifting her head. "How about...Shadow?" he suggested.

"As good as any, I suppose," she answered with a shrug.

"I'll make sure to spread that through the streets," he said. "Anything for an up and coming ne'er-do-well."

Tony returned with an envelope. He handed it to her, and she took it out, counting it. When she was sure it was all there, politely bowed her head to Falcone. "If that's all then, sir, I must be on my way."

"And how would one contact our little Shadow if they had a job for her?" The Joker asked.

Sera reached into her utility belt and grabbed her card. "Call me, if something comes to mind."

* * *

Sera bent over a safe with a stethoscope pressed against it. She grinned in victory when it popped open. Sera opened the door wider and started stuffing the files in her bag. Her latest job was to steal some research from a scientist's office. She stood up and closed the door. 

"Not another step," a deep voice said. The air froze in her lungs. She turned around and saw the Batman standing behind her. Sera could only see his eyes in the shadows. Sera had heard stories of the Dark Knight, and they were very underwhelming compared to the actual figure. She hadn't even heard him enter the room. Sera stepped back, bumping into a desk. She squeaked and almost dropped her bag. Maybe he'd underestimate her because she was a kid. "I said, not another step," he growled, stepping into the light.

Sera almost fell over. He stood at least six feet tall, towering over her, in all his mighty glory. She managed to stay on her feet. Her mind raced. Would this turn into a fight? How could she get away from Batman? He was standing in front of the only door in the room. Could she beat him if they did have to fight? Only in her dreams. 

Her hand flew down to her utility belt and she grabbed three smoke bombs. She tried to throw them but a knee to her chest sent her flying backward. She landed on another desk, breaking some woman's family picture. She rolled off the desk and kicked it toward the caped crusader. She heard it explode when the Bat kicked it. She squeaked and scrambled to her feet. She yelped again when Batman grabbed her by the arm and flipped her over. She spun around, hooking her legs around Batman's arm and pulled.

She smirked in satisfaction when she heard it break. Batman grunted in pain. Sera grabbed a smoke bomb and smashed it into his face. She let go of his arm and rushed to the door, making sure to zig-zag around the room so he couldn't get an easy hit. Two bat-shaped knives flew out from the smoke and pinned her to the wall by the fabric of her shirt. Sera pulled her hands down as hard as she could. The fabric ripped and she jumped over Batman when he rushed her. 

"Give up, Shadow," he said when they were facing each other again.

"Wait, that really got around?" She asked, slipping into a defensive stance. She felt her face flush. "Ugh, that's so embarrassing."

"It is embarrassing. You should be ashamed of what you're doing here," he said. "No matter what you've been told, a life of crime is never the answer."

"It is when the question was how do I make quick money," she shot back. Sera pulled her gun from her hip pouch and shot at him twice. He wasn't expecting it. One grazed his cheek, the other was stopped by his gauntlet. When she saw the look on his strangely expressive mask she knew she fucked up. Rage boiled in his eyes and Sera was suddenly panicking. She'd been told by her master countless times that Batman didn't kill. But what if that was just a rumor.

Sera was running before she thought. She didn't have her grappling hook, but they were only on the third floor, and if she landed on a car or something she'd hardly be injured. So she crashed through the window of the office building and landed on her back. It knocked the wind out of her, but she pushed herself up and off the hood. Sera landed on her hands and knees. She needed to get up. She needed to get away from Batman. Sera ran into an alley when she got her footing. 

She knew the streets of Gotham like the back of her hand. Every twist, dead-end, and fire escape. She didn't run far. She used the back alleys and found herself standing in front of Jacob Blacks' mansion. She climbed in through a window and shut it, laying on her back, breathing heavily, chest heaving. The adrenalin was fading. And the realization that she had come face to face with the Bat hit her like a truck. She'd really gotten away. How in the hell had she gotten away from Batman? Was it the arm? Was it because she broke his arm? It had to be, right?

The light flicked on, and there stood her employer in his robe. He looked like he was getting a glass of water. He saw her laying on his kitchen floor and made a disgusted sound. "Get up," he demanded. She pulled herself up, using a table for assistance. "What is your problem? Sneaking in here and getting mud all over my floors?!"

"IjustfaughtBatman," she said quickly, putting a hand on her chest where she'd been hit.

"What?" He asked.

"I just fought Batman!" She yelled before whooping and skipping around the kitchen. She was so cool, even if no one would admit it.

"And you...escaped?" The man asked, sounding disbelieving.

"Yes! I broke his arm, jumped out a window, and went through the backways until I was out of the city!" She laughed and dropped the bag of files on the ground. "Oh, and I completed my mission." She put her hands on her hips. "But that's just to be expected, isn't it?"

"Grand, I'll get your payment." He said.

He left the kitchen and Sera sat down in a chair. When he came back, he didn't seem impressed to find her kicked back in his house. He threw the envelope of cash down on the table, grabbed the bag, and ordered her to 'get the fuck out of his house. 

* * *

_Name: Unknown_   
_Alias: Shadow_   
_Age: Unknown (10-12)_   
_Height: 4’6”_   
_Weight: Approx. 80 lbs_   
_Gender: Female_   
_Abilities: Hand to hand combat (adequate), Lock picking, infiltration, weapon usage, tactical thinking._

_Notes: Up and coming thief. Well trained. She is believed to have a connection to the thief Printless, though no one has ever seen the two together. Rumors have been circulating that Printless took on a student five years ago, but this student hadn't been seen until now. Parents, birthday, place of birth, family, nationality, are all unknown. Was willing to shoot Batman, one shot would have been fatal had the bullet made contact. Has no confirmed kills. Threat level medium-low. Caution advised._

"What's this about?" Red Robin asked, parking his bike.

"You're back in Gotham?" Batman asked, turning in his chair.

"Yeah, just for tonight. I had to pick up a few things in the cave." He pointed to the Batcomputer. " _What's that about?_ "

"New face who popped up in the last few months. She's the one who stole the Estonia Jade. That was her most high profile heist, but she's been doing work with many well-known names. Two-Face, Falcone, Joker. She's going to be a problem, sooner rather than later. We need to take her down before that happens."

"Slow week?" Red asked.

Batman smirked at him. He turned back to the computer. He looked at the picture of the girl, that his cowl had caught. It was blurry, but it caught her when she had broken his arm. It still hurt, slung against his chest. It had been a clean break. Professional. She was a child but he knew that she was dangerous. She'd only get more skilled as time went on. He was going to shut her down before that happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Sera was having a nice quiet night at home. She'd popped in a classic Disney movie and propped herself up on her couch. She'd even had enough money that week to buy herself the _good_ name brand popcorn. Her phone was ringing more often. People who required her _talent._ It was so satisfying to see all of her years of hard work-bleeding, sweating, crying-had finally paid off. She was in high demand with her master out of the city. 

Elijah Cole was not a kind man, by any stretch of the imagination, but he had saved her life. Her parents had left her alone on the side of the road one night when she was just five years old. He'd found her, freezing, starving, and sobbing behind a grocery store trashcan. He'd broken her down and built her back up. She was sure that he wasn't a good person, the multiple beatings she got every week could attest to that, but she looked up to him. She wanted to be _like_ him. Respected. And now she could say that she had some of that respect. 

Her phone rang and she looked down at the contact. Just a clown emoji. She frowned. Joker's jobs could always get a little messy. Sometimes, it felt like he was just making them up as he went along. They were humiliating, body breaking, and usually what she stole for him was useless junk. But he paid a lot. 

"Hello, how can I help you today, sir?" She asked. 

" _Shadow,"_ He said, sounding just as fake forced happy as he always did. " _I hope you aren't bussy. Did I catch you at a good time?"_

"I always have time for you, sir," she said. 

" _That's so sweet, meet me at the usual place. Two hours. Come alone."_ Then he hung up the phone.

Sera sighed. He always ended his calls with 'come alone.' But who would she even come with? She got up and started packing a bag. There was no predicting if she'd have to head straight to the spot, or if she'd have time to return to the safe house. But when she was ready, she made sure to lock everything up and went on her way. 

The streets of Gotham city were disgusting if you weren't living in the upper-class parts of town. She could literally smell the filth. She kept her mouth and nose covered with the sleeve of her hoodie. She'd need to change before she got to the meeting location. It was _always_ in an abandoned carnival that had closed down in the 1950s. Honestly, she hated his asthetic. 

She slipped into an old booth, crumbling with mold and moss, and pulled her clothes off. Her suit was easy enough. Shirt, pants, boots. Belt was already packed. She put her mouthpiece on and and she was ready. She changed from Sera to Shadow as easy as falling asleep. She put her civilian clothes in her bag. She kicked a can out of her way and huffed. She was stalling. 

She found him on a merry go round. It wasn't moving, but _he_ seemed to be having a good time. He had a group of men with him. All with clown face paint, wicked smiles, and all armed to the teeth. She thought it was best not to interrupt the Joker. So she stood, silent, watching him hum. The bells of an old church miles away rang clearly through the fog. Three o'clock, right when she was supposed to meet him. He stopped humming and turned around. 

"How'd you like to do something _exciting?"_ He asked, standing up and descending the stairs, his cane outstretched toward her. "Something that takes you from little league to the playoffs?" He was standing directly in front of her. He was long and lanky. Every edge on his face was sharp. He was taller than her, but so were most people. But he _towered_ over her, using his hight to lean over her so she was looking straight up into his crazed, yellowed eyes. 

"How much?" She asked, her voice void of emotion. That was the best way to deal with him. Don't react. 

"However much you manage to get your hands on, I suppose," he said with a shrug. 

"What's the job?" 

"Oh? Well, you have to agree before I tell you." 

"That's not how this works." 

She recognized her mistake even before he did. She saw the anger in his eyes and watched almost in slow motion when he pulled his cane back and smacked her across the face with it. Her head snapped to the side and she took a step back. But she _didn't_ fall. She blinked a few times. He'd busted open her lip, not that he could see it. She looked back up at him and saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes. She thought better of quipping and stayed _silent_.

"It works, however, I want it to," he said. "I am the customer after all." 

It wasn't worth it. No amount of money would be worth whatever he threw at her. But she crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him. "I want a machine gun, a big one. And I want...ten thousand dollars," she said. "That's what I want from you as payment, for whatever this is." 

He cackled wickedly and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her around. "Oh, _Shadow,_ you wonderful girl." He stopped shaking her, pushing her at arm's length and letting go. She still didn't fall. "It's a _deal."_

"What am I doing then?" She asked. She thought she should be a little alarmed that he had just _agreed_ without trying to talk her down to five thousand. She could be suspicious later. 

"The young charismatic CEO of Wayne Enterprise is coming back to the main building of the company, after a long trip abroad. There's going to be lots of shiny watches and full wallets." He spun around on his heel, facing away from her, and pointed toward the Wayne Enterprise building with his cane. "You're going to help me do it." 

"That seems a little...crude," she said. "For my particular skill set, I mean." 

"It's good to diversify," he said with a shrug. "You will meet us back here in three days. Maybe come in something a little more colorful. This is just so..." he grabbed her arm, lifting it up and down. "Drab." 

"Is that a requirement?" She asked.

" _Now_ it is."

* * *

She'd never technically been allowed to spend the money she earned. When she first started doing jobs with her teacher, he'd never given her a cent. And now that she was living alone, it was implied that the only things she could spend money on were rent, food, and soap. But her master _had_ told her to do whatever she needed to for their customers. That reasoning is what led her to the local Party City.

She wound her way through the brightly decorated aisles, unsure what would be appropriate for her mission. Nothing that made it hard to see or hard to move. She shuddered, imagining what a disaster that would be. Everyone who worked with the Joker knew that his jobs had a suspicious way of going _very_ wrong. Nine of ten, somehow, it all went to hell. And if the Joker was involved, sooner or later, so would the capes. She still had bruises on her ribs from her 'fight' with the Batman just two weeks before. She knew he was pulling his punches, and imagined what it would feel like when he eventually decided that he was fine with beating the shit out of a child. Broken bones. Internal bleeding. Ruptured spleens. There were _horror_ stories about what Batman was capable of. 

Her feet led her to an aisle that held pretty masks and flower crowns. She pulled a crown down off of the shelf and turned it over a few times in her hands. It had pretty purple and white roses and there were blue, white, and purple ribbons hanging down. She pulled out her phone and took a picture. _'Good?'_ She texted.

She only had to wait a few minutes before her phone vibrated. _'Good enough,'_ he sent back with a clown emoji. She rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket. She walked over to the checkout lines, item in hand. She placed it up on the conveyer belt. The friendly-looking woman at the front smiled at her.

"How are you, today?" She asked, scanning the item. "Are your mommy and daddy letting you buy your costume for Holloween?" She asked. 

"Yeah," Sera said. She smiled sweetly and handed over ten dollars. The woman gave her ten cents back. 

"Have a nice day," the woman said. 

"You too!" Sera waved to her and walked briskly out of the store. When she was safely out the door, her smile turned to a frown. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed. One more night, then she'd be off with the Joker to rob the Wayne Enterprise Gala. That wasn't her usual way of operating. But this was a job that paid a lot. Her master would smack her if she passed up on it just because was feeling a little squeamish. _And_ Joker's intention wasn't to kill the people there, just to take their stuff.

"It'll be fine," she said. 

When she got back home, it was empty as it had been when she left. She sat on her couch and turned on the TV, bypassing the news, and putting it on _Boomerang_. She loved those old-time cartoons. Just not the racist parts. 

She sighed when she heard her phone ring. She looked at the name on the front. Falcone. This wasn't a call she could ignore and let the voicemail answer. She pressed the green button and placed it against her ear. "Hello," she said. 

_"Shadow, glad to hear from you,"_ he said. _"I've gotta job for you. Interested?"_

"Of course, sir," she said. "I'm doing work for Joker tomorrow night, but I'm free after that." 

" _Great, meet me at my house Friday night, say...8:30?"_

"Sure thing, I'll be there." 

He didn't say anything else, hanging up the phone. She shook her head and slid her phone across the coffee table. She wanted a break. A vacation where she didn't have to do anything for like a week. But if she went a week without working, she'd be in big trouble. So she had to take her breaks where she could get them. 

She stayed on the couch for the rest of the day. A mix of YouTube and Television filling her day. At nine-thirty she grabbed a blanket and went to bed. She didn't have any dreams. She woke up well-rested the next morning and immediately started getting ready. She let herself sink back into Shadow's mindset, closing Sera off for the day. 

First, her stretching. Bending her body in all the ways her master had taught her to keep herself limber and flexible. Then a few dozen pushups and sit-ups. She even used her teacher's pull-up bar that he had above the frame of his bedroom door. When she was finished, she went outside and ran a few miles. She was finished at noon. So she texted the Joker, asking him when they were going to meet up. One-thirty, because the Wayne Enterprise executives were having a party at two. They were going to interrupt it. 

She started putting on her suit, one piece at a time. The final part was the crown. She put it on her head and it looked so out of place that she couldn't help the giggle that slipped through her lips. She covered her mouth and turned away. She waited until she was sure she was calm before putting on her mouthpiece. No matter how silly she looked, she was still a professional. 

* * *

The Joker and his crew were waiting for her. She looked at her watch. 1:30 on the dot. She observed the people she'd be working with. Just twenty guys in matching clown makeup. The Joker's boys were a rough lot, not the kind of people you wanted to mess with. But she passed by them without a look. She stood in front of the Joker and put her hands behind her back. "What's the plan?" She asked. 

"Plan?" He seemed confused before a grin spread over his face. "I don't do 'plans.' We're going to go in with guns, shoot around in the air, and pass around a pillowcase for everyone to put their wallets in." 

She didn't like that. But _he_ was the paying customer. "Ready when you are," she said. 

He smirked and put the handle of his cane under her chin, tilting her head up. "You're riding with me. You're not to leave my side, got it kiddie?" 

"Yes sir," she said, taking a step back. Then the Joker grabbed her arm and hauled her toward his ugly purple car. She sat in the passenger side, fiddling around with her equipment. "What do we do if the capes show up?" She asked the Joker when he turned the car on. He seemed annoyed by her question so she didn't push, instead, looking out the window, watching the city pass her by. 

They pulled up to the Wayne Enterprise building and he pulled the car around. She yelped, grabbing onto the handle, and looking at him with wide eyes. He reached into the back seat and pulled out two lime green semi-auto rifles. "Want one?" He asked. 

"Not my style," she said. She waited until he got out of the car before getting out. She slammed the door closed and followed behind him. Joker's boys lead the way, smashing through the door and firing off their weapons. People screamed and ducked, covering their heads with their arms. 

"Listen up!" The Joker screamed, already in his element. "Sorry to interrupt your party, mister Drake, but I'll be reliving you all of your goodies." He said. He was looking at Tim Drake who stood with the other executives. It looked like he was in the middle of shaking someone's hand. Joker put his hand over his eyebrows and squinted at them. Before a wide, wicked, grin spread over his face. "And if it isn't Mister Wayne himself! What a treat!" 

The Joker ordered his men to lock down the doors. With strict orders not to let the police through. Kill them, if they had to. Then the Joker had everyone line up against the wall with their hands behind their heads. "Not you two!" Joker said pointing at Wayne and Drake with his green gun. "No, no, you two, are going to come with us." He put a hand on Sera's shoulder.

"What?" Sera asked, looking up at him. 

He leaned down. "You gotta take opportunities where you can, kiddie." He let go of her and turned to address the crowd. "This just became a hostage situation!" He yelled. "Have someone bring a phone up to mister Drake's office. I'll negotiate with the police. Hope they agree." 

"Whoa, whoa, hang on a second," Sera said. "This isn't what I signed up for. We were just supposed to be taking watches and wallets, remember." 

"Well, I changed my mind." He shrugged and walked over to Wayne and Drake who were looking at the two of them cooly. "Come on," he said, gesturing with his gun. "Let's take the elevator. My knees aren't what they used to be." The party of four left the group of frightened rich people behind and stepped into an elevator. The music honestly just made the whole situation more awkward. 

She looked at Timothy Drake and met his eyes. She had the overwhelming urge to look away, instead, focusing on the door. His eyes cursed her existence. Called her the scum of the Earth. Condemned her for going along with Joker's plan. She didn't know why it made her feel so bad. When the door opened, they stepped out into a huge office. It was honestly bigger than her whole apartment. 

"Shit," she said, walking over to a window. 

"Language," the Joker scolded with a cackle. "Do you keep any rope in your fancy little belt?" He asked. 

"No, I don't." She walked over to one of the windows and laid her hand against it. "You can see the whole city from up here." 

"Stop sightseeing and help me restrain our captives, kiddie," the Joker said with a hard edge. She looked at the two men uncomfortably. She looked around and couldn't find anything. "Well?!" Joker demanded, shoving her toward Drake's desk. She opened and closed the drawers. On the bottom drawer, there was a roll of duct tape. She pulled it out and held it up. She heard the Joker clap and laugh.

"Have a seat, Mister Wayne," she said, gesturing to a chair. He galred down at her and sat down. She wrapped each of his wrists and ankles four times. She was glad that her mouthpiece covered half of her face, so she could pretend she couldn't see him. She did the same to Drake and sat them next to each other. 

She gave them one last look and turned around before she accidentally made eye contact with the two men tapped to the chairs. Joker was now sitting at the rolling chair at Drake's desk. He didn't look at her, spinning around while he whistled. He propped his legs up on the desk and pulled a cigar out of his jacket. Sera licked her lips and stood straighter with her hands behind her back. "What's the plan, sir?" She asked. 

He looked up at her like he hadn't even noticed she was in the same room. "I already told you, didn't I? I'm not a 'plan' kind of man. It makes it more interesting like that." He looked up at her under hooded lids. She took a few steps away from him. With nothing else to do, she went and stood at the window, watching the city. 

Down below she could see police cars and news vans surrounding the building. She swallowed thickly. Did he really have no escape plan? What about when a cape showed up? How were they going to get out? She leaned her forehead against the window and sighed quietly. "There's only one way this ends," Wayne said, startling her out of her thoughts. "With you in handcuffs." He glared fiercely at her and she felt her pulse quicken. 

"Kiddie, why don't you put tape over Mister Wayne's mouth," the Joker said, raising a hand. 

Sera was still holding the roll in her hands. She walked closer to Wayne and took a small piece of tape and placed it over his lips. She didn't want to hurt him. He was just a rich guy. And Drake, he was still only seventeen. She should have known better. Working with the Joker _always_ went wrong. She looked at Drake and shook her head. "Let me give you a little advice if you ever dip your toes in a little bit of freelance crime, never work for the Joker. It's never worth the money he throws at you." 

"Hurtful!" She heard over her shoulder. "And _you're_ the one who wanted the machine gun."

"That's beside the point," Sera muttered. 

The Joker went back to humming a tune and Sera didn't know what to do. She spent an hour or so just walking around the office. She spent some time on the couch on her phone. Eventually, four hours passed with no word from the police. "I'm going to get some water," she said, jumping up off a chair. 

"Bring me some," the Joker said. 

"Yes, sir," she said. She left the office, opening a big wooden door. She found a water cooler around the corner. She took off her mouthpiece when she started having trouble breathing. She leaned her head against the water cooler and put it back on. She grabbed four paper cups and filled them up with water. She walked quickly back and closed the door harder than she intended. She put one cup on the Joker's desk, and hers on a coffee table. She held one up to Drake. "Thirsty?" She asked. 

"No," he said blankly.

She looked at Wayne, and his eyes told her that he had the same answer. She shrugged and put them both on the table. She sat across from them and looked away. In the fifth hour, the phone finally rang and she could have died of relief right then and there. Joker picked up and was silent for three seconds before a wicked grin spread across his face. 

"Well, Commissioner Gordan, how wonderful to hear from you," Joker said, putting the phone in his lap and wrapping the cord around his fingers. Sera couldn't hear what the commissioner was saying. "But I can't do that, Commish. Not while your boys are everywhere. Are you ready to listen to my demands?" He asked. He giggled and covered his mouth. "Alrighty, alright! Here's how it's going to be. One, you'll have your men back up. Two, you'll deliver two hundred thousand dollars in unmarked bills. If you agree then send an officer with no gun to the front door with the money. Call ahead, one of my men will take the money. Then an hour later the hostages will be let go. Oh, there's a third rule, if these demands aren't met, once an hour I'll kill a hostage. You have two hours to decide. Word?" Then he dropped the phone. 

"We're going to jail," Sera said, hiding her face in her hands. "What the hell Joker?! This was supposed to be a simple job!" 

"I know, but it's more fun this way, don't you think?" He winked at her and jumped to his feet. He looked around Drake's things and said "ah-ha!" When he found a bottle of good scotch stashed behind a painting. He poured two glasses and pointed at Drake. "You're too young to be drinking," he said. "Stay away from it kiddo, trust me," he took a long drink and smiled, throwing the glass to the side. "It'll _kill you!"_ He threw his head back and started shrieking with laughter. He bent over at the waist and slapped his knee. When he calmed down a bit he wiped his eyes. He grabbed the other glass and held it out to Sera. 

She grabbed it and turned around so the cameras weren't facing her. She took off her piece and threw the alcohol into her mouth and down her throat. She choaked, holding her hand under her mouth when some of it leaked out the side of her mouth. It _burned._ But she suddenly felt like she needed four more glasses. She straightened herself out. She was pacing again. 

"I'm doubling every fee for you from now on if we get out of this alive," she shot at the Joker. 

"And that's looking like a big _if_ right now," he said. He poured himself another glass. "Batsy's going to show up and it'll be off to Arkham for me." He looked at her and pushed another glass of whiskey toward her. "You'll probably be going to the juvenile section of Blackgate." He cackled and raised his glass like he was toasting her. "I bet you'll get stabbed to death in prison. You're soft like a marshmallow. Real bad look for a murderer." 

"I've never killed anyone," she said slowly.

He snorted and raised a green eyebrow. He rolled his yellow eyes and shook his head. " _Oh,_ I think I know what this is. See, my Harley said that kiddies like you, don't have brains that understand long term consequences." He tapped his cane on the ground and tapped his fingers against the handle. "Falcone, you stole that necklace. He sold it and used the money to by weapons. Two days later, there was a turf war that left fifty people dead. Those documents you took from that lab? That was research containing the answer for a long term solution to asthma. You stole it for a man who sent it to his own lab and stole the patent. The original finders of the cure wanted to make it free. But the other lab is going to sell it for thousands of dollars a pop. There's a lot of lower-class people who don't have health insurance to cover it. Now because of you, who knows how many people will die because they can't get life-saving treatment." He huffed again. "You've almost killed more people than _I_ have."

"That's not true, it's not my responsibility what they do." 

"Just because you didn't pull the trigger," he said with a shrug. The lights flickered before they blew out. Sera screamed and the Joker laughed when the glass shards of the bulbs rained down on them. "Guess who's _here,"_ he sang, standing up.

From the shadows emerged a tall figure draped in a cape. He carried the darkness with him, almost as if the shadows clung to him. The electric implants in the eyes of his cowl glowed a blank white. He was a terrifying figure that had Sera shaking in her boots. He was here.

The Batman. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for someone throwing up in this chapter, and head trauma, just in case that bothers you.

She pulled the gun from her side, firing five shots at Batman. He dodged each one, and Sera had to flip backward several times when he turned his attention onto her. He clocked her on the side of her face and she smashed into Drake's desk. She was dizzy and she could feel blood pouring from her nose. She got to her hands and knees, the room spinning around her. Her ears were ringing. She looked up and saw Batman talking to the Joker. The Joker was riffing, expertly dodging each of the Bat's hits. 

Sera's hand slid across the ground and her fingers touched her fallen gun. She had one shot left. She sat up on her knees and aimed, blinking serval times while her vision swam. He had his back to her. She got one chance. She squeezed the trigger and heard him growl through gritted teeth. He spun around and threw something. It hit her in the forehead and she was falling backward, looking up at the ceiling. There was blackness creeping in her vision. She could still hear them fighting, the Joker's wild, shrieking laughter. Shattering glass and then the room started to fill with green smoke.

She couldn't breathe, but she wasn't sure why. And then she was being lifted under Batman's arm. He hefted her up until she was draped across his chest. The door was open, and Sera was half aware of both Drake and Wayne running out of the room. Batman walked quickly behind them. 

"You're finished, Shadow," he growled at her. 

She looked up at him under her eyes, still not quite able to concentrate. "Oh~," she said, her head rolling around. She looked at his exposed skin. It was darker than it had been when they'd fought. And his voice was too high. "You're not Batman," she said in a sing-song voice, pinching his nose. His head whipped down to her and she giggled. Her head flopped forward and she groaned when her broken nose touched his shoulder. "Oh, sorry I shot you," then she closed her eyes and passed out. 

* * *

She woke up in a cell. Her head was killing her and she was sure that one of her eyes eas swollen shut. She sat up, gritting her teeth, she looked around and didn't see anyone around her. So she figured that she was alone for the moment. She rested her head against the stones of the wall and sighed. "Never again," she breathed quietly. "I will never answer the Joker's phone calls again." 

The mouthpiece of her suit was missing and so was her utility belt. And all of her weapons. They must have searched her when they put her in. She didn't even have her picks on her, which had been tapped to her inner thigh. She rubbed a hand down her face. There was nothing to do but wait. She kept thinking about what the Joker had said to her after everything went south. She'd be on her way to Blackgate Juvenile Detention Center. 

She was starting to see double again, her vision wavering, before returning to normal. She closed her eyes tightly and saw stars. It was like looking through a fog. It was too bright, the florescent lights outside of her cell were unnatural and the humming made her ears throb. She whined in pain, leaning forward, with her hands pressed to her ears. She had a few more seconds before her mouth filled with saliva and she was vomiting on the ground. 

Something was wrong. She stood up and almost immediately fell over, clinging to the metal bars of the cell, to keep upright. "Help..." she called out weakly. "Someone...help." But no one was coming to check on her. The hall remained empty. Her vision wavered slightly, focusing again, and she was bent over at the waist and hurling up her dinner from the night before. She wiped the sweat away from her forehead. Her hand brushed against a mostly scabbed-over, still covered in dried blood, gash on her forehead. Right, that was where she'd hit her head when...

When she...?

Right, Batman. Fighting Batman. 

She sat against the wall feeling both very cold and very hot at the same time. She leaned forward again and threw up on her pants. She needed help. But there was no one watching her. She touched her ears again when she felt something wet running down the side of her head. She thought she'd see blood, but instead, it was clear. And her ears _wouldn't stop ringing._

The door at the far end of the hall slammed open. She heard it smack against the wall. People were arguing. 

"...my client..." 

"All due...." 

"...said she was..."

"We understand your concerns...."

"...think you _do..."_

They were getting closer, but Sera wasn't able to latch onto what their conversation was about. Two tall men stopped in front of her cell and she looked up at them. The lights were still too bright, but they blocked them out. "Mother of Mary," one of the men said, taking a step back. He had a briefcase and a well-tailored suit. "Oh, you're done," he said, turning to the other man. " _Finished."_

The other man was an officer. He saw Sera and gasped sharply, covered his mouth with his hand. "Shit, Shit!" He turned around and fled down the hall screaming "Medic! Medic!" He ran through the big metal door and around the corner, leaving Sera and the other man alone. 

The man knelt. "Hello there, Miss Williams, my name is Quinton Burr. I am Carmine Falcone's lawyer. He's sent me to represent you. And he's even agreed to pay your bail." He seemed like he expected her to be very happy about that. "And, I'm sure you're feeling awful-judging by the state of you-but you can rest assured that whatever charges they were trying to nail you with won't stick _now."_

She blinked slowly. Some of the rining stopped when he talked to her. "Hair...em...I?" She asked, her words slurring together. She groaned and curled in on herself, unable to stand the glowing lights for another second. The rining was back, even stronger than ever. She could hear the man talking to her, so she looked at him. "What?" She asked. 

"Oh this is just wonderful," he said, clapping his hands together. "This is the case that's going to make me." He stood in front of her cell and put his free hand in his pocket. "I know you're having trouble, so just try and focus, okay?" 

"M'kay," she said. 

"Did they read you your rights?" He asked.

What? Who? Batman? "No," she said. 

"Did they tell you what charges you were arrested for?" 

"When did I get 'rested?" She asked. 

"Ah," he said happily. "Did you receive medical attention after your fight with Batman?" 

"Can't 'member." She shrugged and yawned. 

"Miss Williams, what day is it?" He asked. 

"Um...Tuesday," she said. 

He shook his head slowly. "No Miss Williams, it's Thursday. You've been in here for forty-eight hours." 

How long was that? Two days? Or three? "But I just...we was just..." she made a gesture with her hand like she was throwing a punch. "Ya'know?" 

Four new people ran into the room with a gurney. Quinton Burr stepped in front of them when they reached the cell. "I demand that my client be taken to Gotham General Hospital." 

"She's on lockdown, shark," said a female officer, stepping right up to meet his eyes. 

"Yes...false imprisonment is one of the first lawsuits we'll be filing." 

"Excuse me?" The woman asked. 

"Don't play dumb. If I were you, I'd fire whoever fucked this one up." He smiled pleasantly at her. "Why did my client not receive medical attention?" He raised an eyebrow. "Well?!" He demanded, taking a step closer. 

"The detective assigned to the case...didn't file the paperwork. No one knew she was here until this morning." 

"Oh! Are you serious?! _Was he drunk_?!" He asked, then he bent over and laughed. "Oh, that's...honestly thank you, officer." He looked over at the highest-ranking officer and clapped his hands. "Now call an ambulance." 

* * *

_Gotham Times_

_** SHOCKING INCOMPETENCE BY DETECTIVE RICHMOND SMITH LEADS TO NEAR FATAL INJURY OF CHILD  
by Amilia Clark ** _

_In the last issue of Gotham Times, we spoke about the hostage situation during the Wayne Enterprise welcome back party of Gotham's darling seventeen-year-old CEO, Timmothy Jackson Drake. After the crisis was over, all members of Joker's gang were arrested. One young girl was allegedly involved and was taken into custody with the others._

_Eye witness accounts said she was being carried out of the Wayne Enterprise building by the Caped Crusader himself. She was handed off to officials. The child's lawyer, Quintin Burr, sent us security camera footage of Richmond Smith roughly pulling the unconscious girl by her arm and pushing her onto the floor of his squad car and driving off._ _I sat down with Mister Burr and he had this to say about the situation:_

_"The video clearly shows a man who was mentally unable to deal with such an intense hostage situation. Detective Smith has only been in Gotham for a year and has yet to adjust to some of the more unpleasant aspects of the city. The victim of this lack of experience was my ten-year-old client. The footage I gave you shows that Detective Smith did not read her rights to her, did not tell her why she was being arrested and did not attempt to pass her over to the paramedics for treatment._

_"Some of the more startling aspects of the entire situation were her injuries. She was concussed by the Batman and breathed in heavy amounts of Joker's gas, and she needed immediate medical attention. However, Detective Smith dragged my unconscious client down to the lower cell blocks-which were empty of both officers or other prisoners-and left her there. My client was unconscious for two days and was not checked on for the entire duration of her false imprisonment. It wasn't until the morning I came to visit her that anyone even knew she was down there. Down in her cell, she was covered in vomit, unable to focus, slurring her words, and seemed unable to remember most of what had happened during the hostage situation._

_"We took her to the hospital, where my client was finally treated. The doctors informed me that my client was hours away from death. And it would have been a slow and painful death. Alone. In a cold, dark, cell. My client was not given the right to be treated fairly by the officers of the law. She was not thought innocent until proven guilty. Detective Smith has done amazing work for the GCPD, but in this instance, he has shown his true colors."_

_The child in question is still recovering in the hospital. We at Gotham general with her a speedy recovery._

Bruce threw the newspaper on the kitchen table and continued to eat his breakfast in silence. Damian snatched it back up and his face scrunched up in frustration. "So what does _this_ mean?" He asked his father, shaking it around. 

"She's probably going to walk," Bruce said, taking a bite of his eggs. 

"That's it?!" Damian demanded. "She shoots Grayson, takes you and Drake hostage, and she just _walks?!"_

He sighed and put his fork down. "Regardless of her crimes, she is a human being and _deserves_ her human rights. Detective Smith didn't follow proper procedures. So she'll walk." 

"She's not going to stop, being a criminal," Damian said.

"Then we'll catch her," Bruce said with a smile, taking a sip of coffee. "We always catch them, in the end." 

That seemed to put the child at ease. He leaned back in his chair and smirked at his father, but it wasn't unkind. Alfred gave him a warm good morning and set his breakfast down. "Can't wait until I meet her as Robin," he muttered, sticking his fork into his kiwi. " _I'll_ teach her some manners." 

"You have to have manners first," Tim said when he came around the corner. "What are we talking about?" He asked. 

"Shadow," Damian said. "She's going to walk." 

" _What?!"_ Tim sat down and smacked his hands down on the table. " _How?"_ He grabbed the paper when Damian slid it over to him. His eyes scanned the article with quick eyes and his eyebrows scrunched further and further together while he read. He groaned and slid down in his chair. "Man, I thought we got her. But still..." 

"Still?" Damian asked. 

" _Still,_ that guy needs to be fired. Detective Smith. He could have killed that little shit."

" _What a shame,"_ Damian muttered, rolling his eyes. "One less criminal off the streets."

"And one more child who slipped through the cracks," Tim said. "But why is Quinton Burr defending her? I thought he was on Falcone's permanent payroll?" 

Bruce cleared his throat. "He is," he said. "Which means we can assume that Falcone and Shadow are working a lot closer than we thought." 

* * *

She stayed in the hospital for a week. It was constant tests. Doctors shining lights in her eyes. They asked her a lot of questions about the night she'd been injured. She told them she couldn't remember anything. Of course, she'd never tell them what she _could_ remember. Which was...too little for comfort. She remembered bringing Wayne and Drake up to Drake's office, the job going wrong, Batman showing up, bright flashing lights, and that was it. She couldn't even say with clarity anything that she'd done that night. 

On the last day of her stay, the Joker texted her. _"No hard feelings?"_ She'd scrunched her eyebrows together and tried to remember why she would be upset at him. Every job with the Joker went wrong. She'd just never wound up half-dead in a jail cell. Then he sent a few broken-heart emojis when she didn't answer right away. 

The Joker was more trouble than he was worth. And she was _sure_ he hadn't paid her. That was the last one she'd ever work for him. Her master would be upset when he came home, but she was sure he'd understand, especially considering he hadn't paid up. She opened her phone and happily typed " _L_ _ose my number. I'm finished with you."_ Then she blocked him and threw her phone on the table. 

She propped herself up in a comfortable position and looked out the window. Gotham City was nice, in the morning. She didn't much care for it at night. She'd seen what a swirling cesspool of filth the city was. And she knew she was part of the problem. The city had been rotting for years, way before she was even _born._ She understood where Batman was coming from. He wanted to punish the filth. 

Quinton disturbed her thoughts when he burst through the door of her room. "Not a word," he said, pointing a finger at her. "Not a single word, do you understand me?!" His usually well-kept hair was out of place and he was breathing heavily. Had he run to her room? She nodded at him and saw him visibly relax.

The door opened again and in stepped Detective Bullock. He was famous in the circles Sera associated with. He stepped in with his little notepad and sat down, looking at her tiredly. 

"What can we help you with, Detective?" Quinton asked.

"Why did you and the Joker take Wayne and Drake hostage?" Bullock asked Sera. 

Sera looked up at Quinton, who put a handout, like a mother keeping her child from touching something dirty. "My client has not been charged with anything. You can't ask her those questions." 

Bullock rolled his eyes. "Is this how you want your life to lead, kid?" He asked, putting his little book away. "You wanna run around with gangsters and murderers? Well, don't think that just because you're a kid, we won't throw the damn book at you. Hide behind Falcone's lawyer if you want. We'll get you, we _always_ get them." 

"I think that's enough," Quinton said. "If you wouldn't mind detective, Sera needs to get ready to go home." 

"Oh, that reminds me!" Bullock playfully boinked himself on the head. "Elijah Cole left the country. Turns out, he was doing a lot of naughty little crimes. And all of his assets here in America have been frozen. And his apartment has been seized. Along with everything in it. No one in and no one out." 

She opened her mouth bu Quinton put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "That has nothing to do with my client, Detective. Frankly, it's a bit irresponsible of you to be discussing your open cases with a little girl." 

"Of course," Bullock said. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small white card. "Here's my number, just in case you do happen to remember anything." Then he put his hat back on and walked out the door. 

When Sera was sure he was gone, she groaned loudly and flopped forward. "Great, now I'm homeless too," she said. 

"Don't be ridiculous," Quinton said. "At this point, Falcone sees you as an investment. He won't let you rot on the streets." 

"But why?" She asked. 

"I suppose that's something you'll have to ask Mister Falcone yourself." He opened his briefcase and threw a pile of clothes at her. "We're leaving in thirty minutes, be dressed and ready by then." 

"Thanks," she said, jumping off the bed. She locked herself in the bathroom and pulled the hospital gown off, throwing it in a corner somewhere. She'd been worrying about what she was going to wear when she left the hospital. She'd been locked up in her suit, but that had been ripped up and covered in vomit. So the doctors had thrown it away. Or burned it. 

When she was finished, she peaked in the hospital room. Quinton was on his phone playing _Candy Crush._ "Really?" 

"Yes, _really,_ don't shame me," he spat, putting his phone away. 

She held her arms up and looked away, trying not to laugh. "I didn't mean anything by it," she said. She walked back over to her bed and climbed up, kicking her feet back and forth. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"Mister Falcone wanted to have a word with you," he said. He turned his phone off and tucked it in his jacket pocket. "Said he wanted it to be done in person." 

She felt a little shiver run up her spine. "Sounds scary." 

"Just be respectful, and it doesn't have to be," he teased. She shrugged and looked down at her hands.

The last time she'd seen Falcone was the mission that her teacher had handed off to her. What was he going to think when he came back and found that everything he owned was gone. But Bullock had said he fled the country. That didn't sound like someone who was worried about a shitty apartment. And he said he'd be back in a few months. But a month had passed and she hadn't heard a word from him. He was... Quinton popped back in her vision. "What's wrong?" He asked. 

Sera swallowed thickly. "My teacher, he's not coming back, is he?" She looked up at the lawyer. She didn't need the answer, because she already knew it. He was gone. He'd left her. He left her behind. He...he _promised._

Quinton answered anyway. "No," he said gently. "It's not likely that he'll ever be returning to the United States." 

She laughed bitterly. She tightened her hands into fists for a few seconds, before relaxing. "Do you think he knew that when he left me here to run things?" She asked. 

Quinton sighed and pressed his lips together. "Yes, he had no intention of returning to the States." 

"Oh." Her voice cracked and she felt her eyes burning. She looked away from Quinton, trying to keep her crying silent, at the very least. 

Quinton stood up. "I'll leave you alone, for a few minutes," he said, making his way to the door. 

"Wait! No, don't!" She reached over and grabbed his arm, pulling him back to her. She wiped her face on her sleeve. "I-I'm fine," she said, letting go like she'd been burned. "I'll be fine." 

He paused, slowly sitting back down in the chair. "Are you sure?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yes!" She said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Can we just leave now?" 

"We're waiting on a car. They'll be here in ten more minutes." 

"I hate it here," she said, crossing her arms. 

"Just hang on a little longer." He awkwardly reached over and pat her knee. 

* * *

Carmine Falcone was a traditional man. Every person who worked with him, needed to learn that, and fast. If he invited you to sit at his table, then you sit and eat. If he gives you a glass of wine, then you drink. If he hands you fifteen thousand dollars and tells you to steal for him, then you steal. You never refused your host, especially when you already owe them something. 

Sera watched with wide eyes as Detective Smith walked out of Falcone's office. They made eye contact. Both were surprised to see the other. He pulled the collar of his coat up and brushed past her. Sera looked up at Quinton, a hard edge in her eyes. "What the hell?" She growled.

"He wasn't supposed to go as far as he did," Quinton defended. "He was just supposed to mess up procedure. Falcone never imagined..." He trailed off when he saw that Sera wasn't impressed. "You're out of jail," he said firmly. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." He put his hand between her shoulders and pushed her forward toward the office. "Now let's go, the boss wants to see you." Quinton knocked on the large oak door and waited with his hands behind his back.

"Come in," Falcone called to them. Quinton opened the door for her and Sera stepped into the office. "Sera, welcome, welcome. So nice to see you again. Come in, take a seat." He gestured to one of the plush chairs sat in front of his desk. He waved at Quinton, who shut, and _locked_ the door. Sera tensed, looking back at it. 

"What is this?" She asked. 

"Take a seat," Falcone insisted. "It's customary to have a drink before you talk business." He waited until Sera was sat in the chair, before reaching under his desk and pulling out two whiskey glasses. He filled them with ice with a little scoop. He poured himself a glass then reached back under his desk and grabbed a Capri-Sun. He cut the top off and filled the other glass. "I don't give kids alcohol, sorry," he said, sliding it over to her.

"Not a problem," she said, taking the glass. She'd never had a Capri-Sun before, but she knew it was supposed to be juice. It was sweet and artificial. When she was finished, she set the glass down on the desk and leaned back in her chair. "What can I help you with today, Mister Falcone?" She asked. 

"Hm," he smacked his lips together and put his own glass down. He smiled at her and laced his fingers together. "Let me tell you a story," he said. "Twenty years ago, Batman came to Gotham City and struck fear into the hearts of the wicked. Myself included. I managed to avoid being locked up every time Batman busted one of my operations. You want to know why?" He paused, expecting her answer when she didn't give one he continued. "Because I know how to play it safe. I know every letter of the law and I know not to do my own dirty work. You don't have that skill." 

She felt her face flush bright red. She'd never been told by a customer that she lacked skill. "I..." she coughed and ducked her head. "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble," she said. 

Falcone laughed, smacking his open hand down on the desk. "No, no, you misunderstand. See, you don't have those skills _yet."_ He gave her a delighted smile. "You have potential. It's time you stop wasting it on running errands for bigger fish. Come work for me."

The instant response that popped into Sera's head was a flat out _no._ Working for Falcone meant she _worked for_ him. No more independence, no more naming her own prices. She would be at the beck and call of Carmine Falcone. Which she guessed, was the point. But she held her 'no' in. She thought about it for a minute. If she said no, she couldn't imagine Falcone would take it well. She could say goodbye to the legal help Quinton was giving her, if he didn't just kill her, for insulting him. "I almost died," she said eventually. "Your pet detective almost _killed me."_

"Yes, nasty business, that," he said. "Of course it was never meant to go that far. See, unlike Joker, I would never purposefully put you in harm's way." 

She suppressed a sigh and leaned forward. "I have conditions," she said. 

"Of course," he said. "I hope you don't mind I have a few of my own." 

"First, I want to be paid by commission, not salary," she said. "Two, I'm not going to kill anyone for you. And three...Joker promised me ten thousand dollars and a machine gun. Because of him and your detective I got neither." 

She saw his face briefly twitch in annoyance. "Very well, here are my conditions _,"_ he said. "You work for me, and _only_ me. You don't take any jobs from anyone else unless you ask me first. I agree to pay you commission, a flat rate of five thousand per job. I won't make you kill people for me, but I might make you rough them up. You'll live in the compound when you aren't working." 

"And what about what the Joker owes me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"The machine gun and five thousand," he said. 

"I love haggling as much as the next person, but I can not explain to you the level of bullshit I went through because of Joker's antics. So, meet in the middle, I guess. The gun, five thousand, and you get the Joker to pay me the rest." 

"I can do that," he said. 

"Great," she sighed. "One more condition. If there are any expenses from the work I do, don't take it out of my pay." 

"Deal," Falcone said. He held out his hand to her. 

This really was her only option now, wasn't it? Her master was gone and left her to deal with his messes, the police knew she was a criminal-and knew her face-and were just waiting to arrest her. If she said no, Falcone would kill her. But even if he didn't she had no home, no money, and no one to turn to. This was the best option. She reached out her hand and took his. "We have a deal, then." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing alright! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Her room was up on the third floor of Falcone's home. It had a twin bed pushed against the wall with two pillows and a blanket. There was one dresser on the opposite side of the room. "You can decorate it more, later," Tony said when they were standing in the middle. "And uh, you can order anything you need online." 

"Thanks," Sera said. She sat down on her bed. It was right across from an open window. The bed was comfortable, soft, padded. Better than the couch she'd been sleeping on for five years. "I know it's the middle of the day, but I kind of want to take a nap," she said. 

"Right, not a problem," Tony gave her a nod and closed her door.

She heard him running down the stairs and sighed, flopping down on her bed. She reached into her right pocket and pulled out the now bent card Detective Bullock had given her. He probably didn't expect that she'd keep it. She didn't know why she _did._ He was a cop. He was her enemy. But she thought it couldn't hurt to have his number. She grabbed her phone and entered it into a new contact. She didn't put a name, just a pig emoji. Then she ripped the card up into as many pieces as she could and threw it in the trashcan.

For whatever reason, she felt like she was doing something wrong. It was just a number she had no intention of calling. Something she kept more out of her paranoia of not knowing things about her opponents. But she knew if anyone caught her with that number she'd be in deep shit. They'd ask a lot of questions that she honestly had no idea how to answer. 

She scrolled through her contacts and paused on her teacher's name. She felt her body still. Should she call him? She pressed it and held it up to her ear. It rang seven times and she felt disappointed. It wasn't like she thought he _would_ answer but she had hoped he would. Maybe he'd see her name pop up and would be curious about what she had to say. 

_"You've reached Elijah. If this is a business call text me. Honestly, who the fuck still calls people in 2020? Anyways, you get the gist, leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

It beeped and Sera almost hung up. But she didn't. She held her breath and let it out through her nose. "Hey, Elijah," she said, wincing when she heard her voice wavering. "I'm not sure if you'll ever get this message, but I hope you. There's been a lot going on since you've been gone, it's been hard. A lot went real wrong real fast. Mister Falcone'slawyer...he said you were never going to come home. But that's not true, right?" She asked, her voice cracking. "Because...because you _promised_ that you wouldn't..." She was crying. She wiped her tears off on her sleeve. She hung up the phone and threw it down on her bed. She hid her face in her pillow and cried loudly. She prayed that no one would hear her. 

Her eyes felt red and puffy when she finished. She lifted her head and sniffled. Sera rubbed her eyes and laid down under the blankets. She wanted that nap she told Tony she was taking. When she felt stressed sleep came easy to her. That was usually how she dealt with situations where she had no other answers. It couldn't be her problem if she was dead to the world, right? 

* * *

Tim sat in his bed with a soft blanket over his head. His apartment was dark, the only light coming from his laptop. He had a manic grin on his face. He found her. Or, he found her files. Sera Elizabeth Williams, ten years old. Born February 15th, 2010. In Starlight City. Her birth certificate showed the name of the hospital she was born and who her parents were. Carl and Jenny Williams. Both had moved to Gotham City after their daughter was born and left five years later. But two ticket sales in that year suggested that their daughter wasn't with them. No missing person report was made, so Tim assumed that they must have left her with Cole. 

In early 2016 Carl went missing and Jenny had gone back to her childhood home in Rhode Island where she remarried and had another child, a son. Which would be as good a place as any to start looking for clues about Shadow. The more Tim knew about her, the better. He shut his laptop and grabbed his uniform off his dresser. He had the burning urge to get this solved as soon as he could. He'd make sure Shadow paid for her crimes. 

Twelve hours later in the early morning sun, Red Robin stood in front of a house. It had aged green pain and a wooden fence. It seemed like a totally normal. There was a nice Toyota in the driveway. Registered to Jenny's name. Red Robin parked his bike behind her truck and walked right up to the front door. He listened for a few seconds. He could hear a sink running and a radio. He raised his hand and knocked five times. The radio inside turned off and footsteps moved to the door. 

Jenny opened the door and her eyes widened in panic when she realized who was giving her a house call. She tried to slam the door closed, but Red stuck his foot in the door and pushed it open. "Jennifer Black, I think you and I should have a conversation." 

"About what?!" She spat. "My husband will be home any second." 

"No, he won't," Red said, pushing past the woman and into her house. "He leaves for work at five in the morning and your son leaves for daycare at seven." 

"Hey!" She reached out and grabbed Red by the arm and pulled him back. "How dare you-"

"We need to talk about your daughter," Red interrupted her. He watched her face shift from confusion, recognition, and finally fear. 

"Get out," she said with a shaky voice. 

"No." He smiled at her. "Sera Williams, your ten-year-old daughter. You remember her, don't you?" He asked. 

"I've never heard that name," she insisted. 

"Of course you have, she's _your_ kid, after all." 

"I have _one_ child, my son!"

"Whatever," Red rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I need you to tell me why she is in Gotham city committing felonies and why _you're_ here playing 'Little House On The Prairie."'

She closed her eyes and grit her teeth before releasing a loud groan. "Fine...just...fine come in. Let's talk." 

Jenny led him into a sitting room and pointed to an armchair. Red declined the invitation to sit, instead, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Jenny sat down on her couch and bit her nail a few times before she could settle into a comfortable position. She started without being prompted. "I met Carl when I was eighteen, two years later, we had that girl. And I just... _hated_ her. It was her fault that I couldn't go to college. It was her fault that Carl was stressed all the time because he had to work three jobs to support us. It was her existence that made us unhappy. 

"Carl got involved with a man named Elijah, a rough type, but a sweet talker. And so Carl started working for him washing money. It worked out for a few years. I still hated that girl, but I didn't have to see her as much because I could hire people to just watch her all day. She wasn't my problem. Then Elijah decided he didn't like how Carl operated. Guess he got sloppy, shot someone, got caught. Whatever. Point was, Carl was fired and he was angry. 

"The girl was five, I think and there was...an incident. She spilled something. I can't even remember what it was. Carl grabbed my curling iron from my hand and burned her stomach with it. It was pretty bad, we thought she was going to die. He'd beaten her before but this time it was more serious and we knew if she died we were going to get in trouble. She was already so much trouble to us so I just said 'Babe, we were so much happier without her, so let's just leave her somewhere.' And we did. I remember that it was raining and pretty cold. She was sitting on my lap. I hated every second of it. So we just stopped somewhere. I opened the door and pushed her out of the car. Then we sped off. 

"A few days later, Elijah calls Carl, out of the blue. Don't really know what they said but it boiled down to Elijah wanted a protege and knew that we didn't want her. So he wired us thirty thousand dollars and we told him where we'd ditched her." When she was finished she crossed her arms and cleared her throat. "Now that I'm older...I know what I did was wrong. But I can't take it back. She's not my responsibility. She's not my daughter. She's a black stain on my life that I just...can't seem to forget." She shrugged. 

Red Robin watched her wordlessly, his mind whirling with the new information. "What you did wasn't wrong," he said and he could see the genuine shock on her face. "It was inhuman." He clicked his tongue a few times. "Do you even care what's happening to her right now?" 

"No, I don't. And she's not my daughter!" She snapped. 

"Yes, _she is_ ," Red insisted. "Thank you, ma'am, this conversation was very enlightening." He pushed off the wall and walked toward the door. He was aware the Jenny was following behind him. He opened the door and paused. He looked at the woman and felt disgusted creeping in his stomach. He felt sick just looking at her. "Just so you know, you're an awful person. What you did was _disgusting._ I'm going to put your daughter behind bars-because she is a criminal-but when I do I'm going to make sure the DA is aware of what you did to her. And I'm going to make sure that you're held responsible."

"Carl was the only one who laid a hand on her," she defended. 

"Right, and where is Carl?" He asked. 

"I have no idea. He left me for someone else and I had to start over." She chewed on her bottom lip. Red rolled his eyes at the obvious bid for pitty. "I have a life now, please I'm begging you, if that ever got out I'd be ruined." 

"Oh you're damn right you will be," he said with a snort. "You know who _doesn't_ have a life? Do you know whose life was _ruined?_ Sera Williams. You _sold_ your daughter! And I'm going to make sure you pay for that!"

"You can't!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "I didn't even want her, it's not my fault." 

"If you didn't _want_ her, you shouldn't have _had_ her," Red snapped. He wanted to spit in her face. But he reined in those emotions. He took a deep breath. "I want you to listen to me very carefully. You are _not_ going to get away from this. I'm going to the police and telling them what you did. I'm going to make sure that they come to arrest you while your family is home. If I have it my way, you will be spending a _very_ long time in prison. There is no excuse you can make that would ever justify the way you treated that little girl. But if it makes you feel any better, I have every intention of finding _Carl_ and making sure that he faces the same punishment you do."

He wrenched his arm free and pushed her away from him. 

\----

Red found himself in the Batcave a day later and uploading the video he'd been recording during his conversation with Jenny Black. He watched it with a blank face. The emotions running through his mind weren't helping. But he felt bad for the kid. Not bad enough to forget that she'd helped the Joker take him hostage. He was aware that somewhere behind him, Damian and Bruce had stopped their sparring match to listen. When it was finished, he logged out of the file. He stood up from the chair. 

"Stay for dinner," Bruce said, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"I don't want to be a bother," Tim said. 

"You aren't," Bruce insisted. "You're family and we miss you, please stay." 

Tim relented, taking off his mask and throwing it down on the desk. "Alright, I'll stay." 

* * *

Falcone had a pool. Sera was taking advantage of that, floating lazily around on her back. She was allowed to roam around the house freely. She spent most of her time in the living room watching TV. Every time she asked Falcone about work, he'd dismiss her. There was nothing he needed. All the waiting around was starting to make her antsy. 

"What are you doing here?" A sharp voice asked. Sera sat up and saw Falcone's youngest daughter standing with her arms crossed over her chest. Twenty-seven years old and a wicked bitch. She'd been staying at the compound for a week and Sera couldn't wait until she was gone. "Get out of my pool, gutter rat, you'll make it dirty." 

Sera rolled her eyes and climbed out of the water. She didn't think Falcone would let it slide if she told his daughter to go fuck herself. And Sera didn't feel up to any confrontation. She walked back in the house, dripping water all over the tile floors and ran back to her little room. She'd been decorating it for a month with the money she'd gotten from the Joker. She had a laptop. She'd never had one before. Sera didn't use it a lot, but when she did, she would spend the time playing CoolMathGames. 

"Oy, kid," Tony said when he saw her on the stairs. "Boss wants to see you." 

Sera looked down at her soaked clothes and shrugged. "Sure," she said. She skipped past Tony and down the hall, where Falcone usually met with her. She stopped in front of the large oak door and knocked. When she was asked to come in she opened it. She instantly noticed the tense air in the room. Two men stood against the wall with guns in their hands. Another man, sat in a chair, was trembling across from Falcone who was smoking a cigar. 

"Stand over there," Falcone said, gesturing vaguely at the wall. He still had his full attention on the stranger. "Jamie...I'm so disappointed in you," he said. 

"I know," Jamie said. 

"And you aren't even sorry, are you?" 

"No." 

Sera was struck by how strong that word sounded in a dead man's mouth. Jamie looked at Falcone and glared fiercely. "You are an evil man. I never claimed I was a saint, but what you do...it's wrong." 

"And you went and talked to the pigs. If you had a problem with how I ran things, you coulda just come to me, Jamie." Falcone put out his cigar in the ashtray and shook his head. "We coulda worked something out." 

" _Bullshit,"_ the man snarled. 

Falcone reached across the desk and slapped him. "There's a lady in the room," he snarled. "Watch your mouth." 

"Go fuck yourself, Falcone." 

Falcone sat back and balled his hands into angry fists. He rolled his head back and forth a few times before he seemed to calm down. He looked over to Sera whose shoulders tensed almost all the way up to her ears. "Jamie has been with me for years. Never seemed to have a problem. Things get outta hand one night, few kids end up dead, and suddenly he has a conscience. Isn't that convenient, Shadow?" He asked. When she didn't answer he slammed his hands down on the table. 

"Yes!" She squeaked. "Yes, it's...it's a coincidence." 

Falcone hummed in agreement. He reached under his desk and pulled out a revolver, placing it on his desk. "I am no stranger to being betrayed," he said. He looked at Sera. "You won't betray me, will you?" He asked. 

"No sir," she insisted. 

"Then prove it." Falcone picked the gun up and handed it to her. "Kill him." 

"But..." She looked at the gun. "I...you agreed not to make me kill anyone." 

"I did, didn't I?" He nodded a few times. "Well, I changed my mind. It's him or you, kiddo. I'd rather not have to kill you both." 

"You're going to kill me?" She asked. 

"You're damn right I will." 

The gun weighed a hundred pounds in her small hands. Her hands shook just as Jamie's had. What should she do? She knew that if she didn't he'd kill her. But she'd never killed anyone before. Elijah had _never_ made her hurt another person. She didn't even know how to do it correctly. What if she missed? Or she just, wounded him? Would it hurt him? Falcone's men shifted, looking unhappy. Their hands tightened around their guns. She made a choice without thinking. She pulled down the hammer and raised the gun. She didn't hesitate, worried that she'd change her mind. And she pulled the trigger. 

_Click_

What? 

Sera looked down at the gun in confusion. Jamie was gasping for breath, hand on his chest, practically hyperventilating. Falcone leaned back in his chair, a self-satisfied look on his face. Sera dropped the gun when she realized that the chamber was empty. It smacked loudly against the wooden floor. She gasped and leaned her body against the wall. Falcone lit his cigar and exhaled smoke in Jamie's face. "See that," he said, pointing to Sera who was now sitting on the ground, looking emptily at the gun. "That's loyalty, you'd learn a thing or two from this kid." He paused and smirked. "Well...maybe you would have." He nodded to his men who moved and grabbed the man by the arms, hauling him out of the office. 

When they were gone, Sera glared at her new boss, who raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would you do that?" She asked. 

"I needed to know I could trust you." He stood up from his desk and offered her his hand. "Now, you are family," he said. "You're excused." 

She ran. 

She slammed her door closed and sat in her bed. Had that actually happen? Had that _happened?!_ She covered her mouth with her hand. She'd been willing to kill that man. She was going to _kill him._ She would have. If that gun wasn't empty she would have murdered someone who had never done her any harm. It was hard to breathe. Sera curled into a ball, shivering. 

She laid there, wondering why her entire life was lived, by the whims of adults. Joker. Elijah. Those Two. Now Falcone too? Jerking her around like a circus monkey. She was... _angry._ Sera was steaming. She'd thought Falcone was different. But he wasn't. As 'fair' as he seemed, it was still very obvious that he didn't care about Sera. She'd almost died because he'd wanted her in his pocket. The greatest thief in the city (now that her master was gone) under his thumb.

She was just _gutter trash_ to him. And that guy, Jamie, who was probably dead already. He'd been loyal to Falcone for 'years' and when it got too much, he turned to the law to help him. He'd done what he thought was right, and he'd gotten a bullet in the back of the head for it. (Probably). Sera's nails dug in her skin. She wanted to _ruin_ Falcone for playing with her like a toy.

But how? It wasn't like Sera was high enough in his operation to be told any valuable information. But what had Sera been hired for? She sat up and looked at the blank walls of her room. Sera hadn't betrayed Falcone, but it certainly felt like he had betrayed her. He'd promised that he wouldn't make her kill anyone. She was so _sick_ of being jerked around. 

She grabbed her phone off her bedside table and flipped through her contacts. _'Meet me at Big Gulliver's at midnight. Come alone.'_ She hit send. 

She'd get killed. 

If she was caught. 

Sera slowly crawled out of her bed and stretched her arms over her head, feeling suddenly very light on her feet. By the end of the night, Falcone would understand that he was done. Sera didn't imagine that she'd get away with the crimes she committed. But maybe they'd give her a lighter sentence, considering she would be _handing them_ everything they'd need to but the old mob boss away. Someone would replace him, probably his son, but that wasn't her problem. 

Shadow slipped out her door, casually passing Tony on the way. He shrugged, figuring she must be heading to the kitchen. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, how's quarantine treating you? I never thought I would miss human contact so much. 
> 
> Anyway, a SLIGHT trigger warning for the brief mention of human trafficking.

Sera figured they must have figured out what she'd taken. She was leaned against a light pole and pulled the flash drive out of her pocket. Sera wished she was taller, she'd look like some badass protagonist of some heist movie. She'd ditched her phone back at Falcone's. She didn't want him tracing her. 

Sera looked at the clock inside her favorite restaurant and huffed. One minute late. She'd wait four more minutes before she considered it a lost cause, and dip. She was already feeling spooked. Gulliver saw her outside his restaurant and raised a brow. She held up two fingers and he nodded, getting to work on her order. 

A run down 1970's style car pulled up in front of the building. Sera saw the detective in the front seat. They made eye contact. She'd wait. Sera had no concept for what the proper etiquette of the handoff should be. He gestured with his hand to the passenger seat and Sera shook her head. 

She turned around and walked into the diner. "Hey, Gulliver," she greeted. She heard Bullocks shoes behind her and was satisfied that he'd followed her. She was worried that he wouldn't. Then everything would have been for nothing. "Mind lockin' the door for me and my friend here?" She asked. 

"You workin' with the pigs now, kid?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"He's cool," she assured him. She looked at the detective and gave him a thin smile. "I already ordered our food, follow me." Sera turned and walked to the booth in the back, away from the windows. She touched the seat facing the front of the diner. Bullock sat with his back to the door. "You know, my teacher, he used to make me sit where you're sitting." 

"You ready to talk?" Bullock asked, setting his hat down. 

"A fedora? Isn't that a bit on the nose?" Sera asked with a snort. He gave her an unamused glare. "Fine, fine, sorry." She sat down and laced her fingers together. "So, I don't know how much time we have, I'm just going to say it. You want to take down Falcone for good, right?" Sera asked. Bullock opened his mouth and she held up her hand. "Yes or no?" 

"Yes," he said. 

"Good, glad to hear that our interests are aligned." Sera grabbed the flash drive in her pocket and sighed. She put it down on the table in front of her. "This cute little thing holds everything you'd need. The location of all his warehouses, trading routes, suppliers, literally everything. Lucky for you, he kept extensive records." 

"How did you get that?" Bullock asked, looking suspicious as hell. 

"I stole it, obviously," Sera said with a roll of her eyes. 

"You're a disrespectful little shit, you know that?" Bullock asked. 

"So I've heard, anyway, I took it from Quinton Burr's laptop. He keeps all the information with him at all times in that stupid briefcase of his. The snakeskin one. He's Falcone's third in command. Lucky for us both he's also a raging pill addict. So I slipped him some blow and uploaded the files to this flash drive when he passed out. Now...where does that leave us, I wonder?" 

"What do you want?" Bullock demanded. 

Sera scoffed and strained her neck, looking through the mirror that pointed on the street. No one. Yet. "We're taking a road trip, you and I," she said. "I know you've got a wire on. We're going to the first location, wherein you will call for backup. I have one can of spray paint where I will leave my calling card. I will give you the drive. I will then surrender to the police. Also...someone tell Batman to come." 

"What? We can't just-" 

"Just do it, come on, I'm handing you the answer to all of your problems on a silver platter. Ask your friends on the other end what they think." 

Bullock glared at her again and pressed his finger to his ear. He looked stricken. "I can't bring a kid into the line of fire." 

"Too bad, if you want this-" Sera waved it in front of his face. "You follow my demands. This isn't a negotiation." 

"Why do you want the Bat?" 

"There's one last thing, one thing I _couldn't_ get onto this drive. Something only he can find." Sera looked again and rolled her eyes. "We need to hit the road. I'll tell you where we're heading when we're in the car. Gulliver's been back there too long."

"What do you mean?" 

"Uh, unless you want to be a dead piggy, I suggest we get the fuck out of here." She stood up and ran toward the front door. The back, where the kitchen was, burst open. Bullock was behind her. She held the door open for him and slammed it shut behind her, jamming a fork under the bottom. Tony looked at her, and they locked eyes, and she knew that she was dead. She smiled and wiggled her fingers and trotted to the passenger seat of Bullock's shity car.

He turned it on and sped out of the parking lot, tires squealing on the pavement. Sera waited until they were ten minutes away from the diner before pulled a piece of paper out of Bullock's notepad and wrote down the address. "Head there, don't say the address until we're five minutes away." 

"Why are you doing this?" Bullock asked. 

Sera smirked and propped her feet up on the dash. " _Spite."_

* * *

Sera knew there were no guards at the particular facility they were standing. It held guns, parts, but no written records of any kind. It was registered under a false name with no connection to the Falcone family. Sera grabbed the black spraypaint and started marking the walls. Bullock was quiet behind her, but she knew he had his hand on his gun. He'd called it in and Sera knew the police would be down on her within two minutes. 

"Any word on if the Bat will show or not?" Sera asked, tossing the can to the side. 

Bullock pressed his fingers to his ear again and nodded. "He'll show," he said. 

"That's good." Sera's shoulders slumped. She tossed the flash drive to Bullock who caught it with one hand. 

"What's with all that?" He asked, pointing at the design she left on the wall. 

"Shadow's dead," Sera answered. "Figured she might as well go out in a _blaze of glory_."

"What's the thing you want the Bat for?" 

"Are you fishing?" She asked. 

"Yes." 

She shrugged. "In looking through Quinton's physical documents I found a letter from my old teacher. It had an address. I need this...more than _anything._ I need this _one_ thing." Sera looked up, hearing the police sirens and squealing tires. She saw the Batmobile sliding in, screeching to a stop. "So this is it, huh?" 

"Yeah, kid, this is it." He pulled his cuffs out of his jacket. 

"Please, just wait until I talk to Batman. Please. I have to know why." 

He paused. "I can't let you go, kid." 

"I _know_ that, but I need to tell him! Batman won't let me run, come on you know that! I need an answer!" 

Bullock sighed, before gesturing with his head to the door. She trotted behind him, waiting for him to open the doors. Sera stepped out into the blinding blue and red lights. She stood still and found Batman in the crowd. He made a B line for her, hands tightened into fists. "Oh, by the way, detective, I have a gun in my right boot. Take that for me, will ya?" He knelt, pulling up the leg of her pants and grabbed her Glock with his glove. 

"What do you want, Shadow?" Batman demanded, standing right in front of her. She had to strain to look at him. Nightwing was behind him, climbing out of the Batmobile, looking triumphant. 

"I need you to take me somewhere. There's one last thing that I have to do. But..." she looked at Commissioner Gordan who joined their little circle. "I guess that's up to you three now." She looked at Gordan. "I know where my teacher is. I'll tell you where that is if you agree to let Batman take me there. It'll take an hour." 

"Out of the question." Gordan crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. 

"Please...I just have to ask him..." She snarled and spit on the ground. "If you let me do this, you take down whatever operation my teacher had planed here in the States. But if you don't I won't say a word." 

"We'll let you observe from a computer screen," Gordan said. 

"That's the best I'm getting?" Sera asked. All three men nodded their heads. "Deal." She slowly turned around with her hands behind her back. 

"Sera Williams," Gordan said, cuffing her hands. "You're under arrest for grand larceny, breaking and entering, kidnapping, evidence tampering, assault, and assaulting several officers. You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir," she said. She was led to a squad car. Gordan placed his hand on the top of her head and slammed the door closed on her. Sera leaned her head against the car window. She watched Gordan, Bullock, Batman, and Nightwing talk. Argue, she guessed. She watched Gordan and Bullock attach something to Batman's suit. So they'd already planned it. Sera rolled her eyes and slumped back in the hard seat. 

Gordan got in the car several minutes later. He held a headset to her. "Batman is on the other line. We have the computer ready for you." 

"Thanks." She put it in her ear. "Alright, Bat, listen up..." 

* * *

"Well..." Nightwing said awkwardly. "That was an unexpected turn of events." 

"You heard what she said on the wire, she's doing this out of spite," Batman said, not looking at his partner. "But I expected a murder, not a surrender." 

"Isn't that a good thing?" Nightwing asked. 

"It's not a _bad_ thing."

Nightwing pressed his fingers to his communicator. "Why are you doing this, Shadow?" He asked. Nightwing didn't acknowledge Batman giving him a _look._

There was a crackle at the other end. _"Well...Falcone broke our deal. A criminal has nothing but his word. If he did it once, he'd do it again. I was mad."_

"What the _real_ reason?" 

She was quiet before a soft laugh came over the line. " _He promised he wouldn't make me kill. He brought in a traitor, put a gun in my hands, and said it was me or him. See, I pulled that trigger...but the gun was empty. It was a test. Then they dragged him out of the room and killed him for real. So that's why."_

"Rough," Nightwing said, not into the communicator. He looked at Batman, whose hands tightened around the wheel. "I feel for the brat, I do." 

"She's a criminal," Batman said instantly. 

"I'm not saying we let her go on her merry way," Nightwing said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm just saying...I get why she turned out the way she did." 

"Yeah..." Batman finished lamely. "We're here." 

It was an unassuming little shack with a mailbox. "Doesn't look like anyone is here," Nightwing said. He jumped out of the Batmobile with his escrima sticks in his hands. When no one attacked them, he lowered his guard a bit. Both vigilantes snuck through the darkness to the front door. 

Batman kicked the door off its hinges. But no one rushed out to attack them. There was no one there. But there was a laptop in the middle of the floor. Elijah Cole was sipping a glass of wine on the other end in a red armchair. "Oh, how unexpected." 

"Cole," 

_"What?! No! He was..."_

"Is my sweet student listening in? Tell her I'm disappointed. That she would even think I'd stick around. Within six hours of taking that drive, you were marked. No one will ever do business with you again. Not that it matters, I guess." 

"Where are you, Cole?" Batman asked. 

"Come on! You can't have expected that to work? Well..." he set his glass of wine down. "I guess that brings this dance to an end. Farewell, Batman." 

_"Wait! Wait!"_

Cole paused. "Oh, Sera, is that you? You've been a bad girl. If I could get my hands on you, I'd beat you within an inch of life, you stupid little bitch." 

_"Why?"_

"Why? Because you've ruined my carefully cultivated reputation. And that won't stand. I'd kill you if I could." 

_"Why did you leave me?!"_ She was screaming, and everyone listening could hear her sobs. " _Why?! I gave you everything I had! Every shred of my soul! I dedicated every moment of my life to making you happy! Why did you abandon me?!"_

"Listen, kid, don't push your daddy issues onto me. They didn't want you. And you were nothing to me anyway." 

" _Nothing?!"_

"Nothing! You'll never mean anything to _anyone,_ brat. You're one of the thousands of unfortunate children that don't _matter._ Your life has no value, nor did it ever. Especially to me. Honestly, by the end, you were more of an inconvenience to me than you ever were an asset. You broke off a deal with the _Joker._ He was one of my best customers. Do you have any idea how much ass-kissing I had to do to-" 

Batman slammed the laptop closed. "That's enough," he said. He looked at Nightwing who looked stricken. "We're bringing this in. There's nothing else here." 

_"Rodger that,"_ Gordan said. 

"Well, this was all tied up kind of nicely. Too bad Cole got away." Nightwing stood to his left. 

"It was tied up _too_ neatly. This isn't over. Not by a long shot." 

"Still..." Nightwing sat down. "Because of the girl, Falcone is as good as done." 

"I suppose." 

"And she's young, young enough that it can't be too hard for her to change." 

"What are you getting at, Nightwing?" 

"I'm just saying...it doesn't sound like she was given a lot of mercy in her life. Maybe she just needs a little bit. And she _did_ take down a criminal empire." 

"She tried to kill you." 

"She shot _at_ me," Nightwing argued. 

"You're...right," it sounded physically painful to say. "But she has to pay for her crimes." 

"She does," Nightwing agreed. "But not with her entire life. Because that's what she could get. _Life._ " 

* * *

Sera had her head down, shoulders slumped. She looked up at the Bat, his eyes weren't as cold as she would have expected. "Am I doing the right thing?" She asked. Sera knew the answer before he even said it. Or she _thought_ she did. 

"Maybe not," he confessed. Batman put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "But because of you, how many people won't die of drug overdoses from the product that flowed through Falcone's facilities? How many women were found and returned to their families? How many murder victims found justice?" 

"I only did it to piss him off, I had no moral awakening or anything," Sera sniffed and shrugged his hand off of her. 

"And why were you angry?" He asked, his lips turned up in the _slightest_ of smiles. "Because you thought he'd force you to end another person's life." He got down on one knee and held her hands in his gloves. "What is better? To be born good, or to overcome or to overcome your evil nature through great effort. What you did was brave." He looked back at Nightwing who smiled encouragingly at him. 

"How long you think I'm going to be in jail?" 

"I worked something with the DA. If you cooperate and agree to testify against Falcone, they've agreed to overlook your felony charges. You'll be charged with breaking and entering. If you agree to plead guilty you'll serve six months in a correctional facility and two years on parole." 

"Why?" Sera asked. But he didn't answer, standing up, and ruffling her hair. Batman walked to the front desk to speak to the officer who was starting to process her. Sera was led toward one of the holding cells by another uniformed officer. Detective Bullock was propped against the wall. He held his hand out and the officer stopped. 

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a man with a briefcase hurrying over. Sera turned around and saw Tony, dressed to the nines. Sera squinted in confusion before a small gasp left her mouth. Tony dropped the case and reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun with a silencer on the front. Sera could see Bullock reaching for the gun at his side from her peripheral vision, but knew he wouldn't make it in time. Tony looked her in the eyes, and Sera knew Falcone had sent him to kill her. He pulled the trigger seven times before anyone could stop him. 

Bullock unloaded his gun into the man's chest and chaos swept through the precinct. She looked at Batman and Nightwing, who had jumped into action, slamming Tony to the ground. He was still alive. That must have been why Bullock was screaming for a medic. Sera was surprised, that not a single shot had hit her. 

She felt cold. 

She looked down. 

Oh. 

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell backward into Bullock's arms. Her head hung limply and her breathing came out in short, raspy, desperate gasps for air. Every single one of the shots had hit her. She could feel it then but slipped into blissful darkness before she could properly process the pain she was feeling. 

* * *

**Six Days Later**

"Is the room ready, Alfred?" Bruce asked, straightening his tie. 

"Yes, Master Bruce," Alfred helped Bruce put on his jacket. "Has anyone told the girl?" 

"Not that I'm aware of," Bruce shrugged. "I imagine it's going to be _quite_ a surprise." 

Alfred smiled, squeezing Bruce's shoulder. "This is a very kind thing that you're doing." 

"I thought a lot about what Dick said to me on Friday. He was right. She just needs a second chance. God, Alfred you should have seen her. She was covered in blood. I was sure she was dead." 

"Thanks to the swift work of the doctors, she'll make a full recovery. She might even be out of the wheelchair before Falcone's court date." Alfred took a step back. "She'll still testify, won't she?" 

"She has too," Bruce answered, heading out his bedroom into the hall. "That's what she agreed to with the DA." 

"But still...seven shots. It almost seems like divine intervention that she survived." 

Bruce let out a breath and nodded. "When will they be here?" Bruce asked. 

"Twenty minutes. I've already told master Damian to be ready downstairs. He's finishing breakfast right about now." 

"Are any of the others planning on stopping by?" Bruce asked, knowing better than to feel hopeful. 

Alfred shook his head. "Master Jason is working a case with Green Lantern, Master Timothy says he'll stop by another time but...well she did help hold his hostage. Master Dick is helping the police in Bludhaven round-up Falcone's men in his city." 

Damian was in the kitchen, eating his meal with an annoyed scowl on his face. "Father I must-" 

"I know, Damian, I've heard it several times already." Bruce sat across from his son and picked up the morning paper. "This of it this way. We can keep an eye on her here." 

"That's true," Damian muttered. "But I don't have to like it, and I don't have to be nice to her either." 

"Don't antagonize her, Damian, she's in no condition to handle it." 

" _Please_ father, she's in a wheelchair. I have honor, unlike her." 

"I know what she's done, but don't forget that her actions shut down Falcone's operations. He's already in custody. They're just waiting until the star witness is able to walk before the trial happens. Just remember that she risked her life to give the police that information." 

"Yes...I remember." Damian rolled his eyes. "But it doesn't change the fact that she held you and Drake hostage with the Joker. That she tried to shoot Grayson in the _back."_

 _"_ And she'll pay her debt to society," Bruce said. "She just needs help. You needed help once, and I never gave up on you." 

"It's different, I'm your son." 

"She doesn't have parents, you know what they did to her, don't you?" Bruce asked. 

"Yes, they abused and abandoned her." 

Damian and Bruce sat in silence until a black van pulled up to the front of their driveway. Along the way, the FBI had gotten involved with Sera William's case. They were the ones who brokered her deal. And the people responsible for her protection. It was only Bruce Wayne insisting that FBI custody was no place for a badly injured child that she hadn't been carted off to some warehouse. She'd be staying with them for the foreseeable future. Which made Bruce her legal guardian. Was he worried? _Of course_ , he was. But he couldn't get Elijah Cole's cruel words out of his head. 

She deserved a second chance. Bruce stood up, watching them help the girl into her chair. She looked winded just from standing upright. She was pale and wobbly. Bruce looked at Damian. "Will you come and greet her?" He asked. 

"I...well I suppose that's fine." Damian stood from the table and followed behind his father.

Alfred was already waiting at the door when one of the agents knocked. Alfred opened the door, and there she was. She looked exhausted but defiant all the same. Sera looked Bruce in the eyes and her green eyes widened. She recognized him. What she'd done to him and his son. She was...afraid of him. 

"Hello," Bruce said with an easy smile. "Come on, why don't we chat in the living room?" 

_Don't be afraid,_ was what he wanted to say. She must have really thought Bruce was about to visit vengeance down on her for what she'd done. But nothing could be further from the truth. Damian and Alfred weren't allowed to follow them. Bruce was sat down in a chair while three agents surrounded him. Another agent stood next to Sera, hands behind her back. The chief of the squad sat down in front of Bruce and pulled out a manilla folder. 

"Here are the rules, they are non-negotiable." He opened the folder. "Sera Williams is never to leave the house unless it's a medical emergency. She will have an ankle brace on her at all times. Any attempts at it being removed will result in her immediate removal. There will be surveillance cameras placed in her room. She is never to be alone if she is not in her room. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days awake. It doesn't matter who it is, so long as someone is always with her. Mister Wayne, she is a criminal, despite her efforts to help the police in taking down Falcone. But these rules are also in place because she will be killed if she isn't watched. We've received reliable intel that Falcone has put a hit out on her. Batman insists he will aid you in protecting your home. You will have no parties, no guests, no reporters. Not even a cleanup crew. No one else but Richard Grayson and Timmothy Jackson Drake are allowed to come into this house. Does all of this make sense to you mister Wayne?" The agent asked. 

"Yes, sir," the man said. 

"Very good, sign here," he pointed to a line at the bottom. Bruce signed his name without hesitation. "Congratulations on the adoption, I guess," the agent gathered everything up. He nodded to the other agents who moved to leave the room. One of them left a thick stack of paper's on the coffee table. "Read those, then burn them, got it?" 

"Yes, sir," Bruce answered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always nice! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Sera grabbed the edge of the mahogany bedside table. Her chair was locked in place. Sera took a deep breath through her nose and pushed down on her arms. She managed to lift herself a few inches before burning pain fired through every nerve in her body. She let herself fall back into the chair, gasping. Sera's throat constricted and she slammed her hands down on the wood. The clock on the bedside table read 6:24. Six minutes until Alfred Pennyworth came to wake her up. 

Of all the Wayne clan that hovered around her awkwardly, _he_ was her favorite. When he watched her, it wasn't with pity like Bruce Wayne, or hatred and suspicion, like Damian Wayne. And he usually didn't mind letting her entertain herself during the day. He watched her, but she didn't feel confined in his company. 

Sera's eyes turned up when she heard the three knuckled knock that announced Alfred's presence. He opened the door and poked his head through. He saw her sitting in her chair and sighed, pushing the door the rest of the way open. He had a tray with sourdough toast and a small cup of orange juice. Putting it down on the dresser, Alfred rounded on her and put his hands on his hips. "Your doctor insists that you shouldn't be trying to stand right now," he informed her cooly. 

"Whatever," Sera muttered, turning her head away from Alfred.

He walked over and unlocked her wheels and spun her around. "Would you like to take your breakfast in your room this morning, or would you prefer to take breakfast with Master Bruce and Master Damian?" 

"Do you have to ask?" Sera asked with a snotty roll of her eyes. 

"Just my due diligence. Perhaps you've had a change of mind." Alfred didn't hide his aggravation with her attitude. He pushed her to the small table in the corner of her room, in front of two large windows. He pulled back the periwinkle curtains and Sera looked down at the beautiful Wayne Manor gardens. The deep red roses were in full bloom and when Alfred opened the window, she could smell the flowers in the air. 

Sera turned her head down toward the table when he placed her small breakfast in front of her."They don't want me down there." She held her hand up and stopped Alfred before he'd even started talking. "Don't you even _try_ and deny it, Jeeves. I held your boss at gunpoint." Sera rubbed her face rapidly with the palm of her hands. "I don't even know why he wanted me to come here."

Alfred didn't seem to have an answer for her. She could tell that he wanted to disagree with her, but he stayed quiet. Sera took a bite of her toast and Alfred put two pills in front of her. She didn't fuss. Sera threw them back and drank her juice. Alfred was still waiting. As much as she was sure he didn't like her, she was so grateful for all the help he gave her. 

"You have an appointment with agent Keener, Miss Williams," Alfred said, already pulling out clothes for her. 

"What more could he possibly have to ask me?" She asked. Sera couldn't eat much, so she pushed her toast away from her. 

"I'm sure he's thought of something." Alfred looked at her unfinished breakfast and clicked his tongue in disapproval. Sera knew he was going to force her to finish her lunch later in the day. "Would you like to take your bath now?" 

"Yeah, might as well." 

He nodded and pulled her out from the corner and into the bathroom. Sera still couldn't stand on her own, so Alfred had to help her sit in the tub. She'd refused to undress in front of him, and to her eternal gratitude, he had come up with a solution. He sat her down and left her alone so she could undress and bathe herself. Then she'd dry off and change. She only ever needed help putting on pants. She relaxed in the hot water and sighed. 

Living with Wayne felt like a vacation from reality. Sera had been astounded that the water was hot- _hot-_ and not lukewarm. She was going to miss the burning hot water most when she went to jail. Or whenever Wayne got sick of having her around and tossed her out on her ass. But until then, she was determined to soak up every luxury that the upper class enjoyed. Wayne was too rich for his own good. Thieves could slip inside and take jewels from the attic and Wayne wouldn't even notice. Sera would have been tempted if she wasn't determined to give the whole 'redemption' thing a try. 

Three weeks. She had three weeks to enjoy luxury before Falcone's trial. Afterward, she'd have to surrender to the police. And she'd already pleaded guilty in writing so there wouldn't even be a trial. Elijah had told her horror stories about his stay in a few prisons when he was younger and Sera shivered, remembering them all in vivid detail. She was most afraid of the white supremacists who stabbed people over jello. 

She sat up slowly, groaning in pain. Her stitches weren't in danger of bursting open, but they sure as shit hurt. She unplugged the tub and when the water was drained she sat in the tub for a bit longer, not so willing to move when every flex of a muscle protested. Sera knew Alfred was waiting for her so he could start his duties for the day and she didn't want to take up too much of his time. She dried off with the towel provided and sighed in relief when she saw that Alfred had picked out a sundress for her. Easy to slip on. 

"Yo! I'm ready!" She called to the closed door. She heard Alfred's shoes and he opened the door. He had her chair in the bathroom and leaned down, slipping his arms under her. Sera helped him, putting as much weight as she dared and lifted a leg up over the tub and groaned loudly. Alfred was kind enough not to mention it. He sat her down in her chair and took her from the room. 

"I'll be preparing dinner for tonight most of the day. So we will be in the kitchen," Alfred informed her, on their way out into the hall. "I've prepared a few lessons for you. Maths, English, and just a bit of French."

Sera sighed. She hadn't ever had to go to school. and she didn't see why she suddenly had to start. Sera could read, wasn't that enough? Not for Alfred. He set her beside the window looking out on Wayne's garden. Beautiful red and white roses lined the small path that wound around the garden. She could see sunflowers somewhere toward the back. When she looked out from her window, sometimes she could hear the birds. If walking didn't feel like being shot, Sera would sneak out as often as she could, and sit under the huge trees. 

But she was stuck inside with _French._ Sera rolled her eyes and picked up her pencil. There was no point in fighting. Alfred was cutting up vegetables, humming a tune under his breath. Sera realized that she recognized it and set her pencil down to listen. Alfred looked up from his cutting board and smiled under his mustache. 

"Sinatra fan, are you?" Alfred asked her. 

"My teacher was. He used to sing that song a lot," Sera told him. "When I was little, he'd sing that to me, because I was still freaking out about my parents." She chewed on the inside of her cheek. 

"My father used to sing Sinatra at his piano for my siblings and me," Alfred said. "My older brother Wilfred and mother would dance around the living room while my younger sister and I sang with him." 

"That sounds nice," Sera said wistfully. "Is...is that how most families are?" She asked Alfred, looking down at her unfinished schoolwork. 

"They should be. I had a happy home, as any child deserved," he said and looked pointedly at her "And I would hope...this home can be just as warm and happy for you as mine was." 

"Pft, come on, dude," she rolled her eyes and smirked, leaning back in her chair. 

"Miss Williams, I understand that you've not had very many adults that you could depend on, but this _is_ your home now." 

"I get that Wayne is used to taking in strays, but I'm different." 

"How?" He demanded. "Are you not a stray child in need of care?" 

"Yeah, but his other kids weren't felons who joined the mafia?" 

"No...but..." Alfred stopped like he was worried someone was listening to them. (Which they were, from a black van parked somewhere nearby). "Master Jason came to us when he was eleven years old. Master Bruce had parked his car at a gas station, and when Master Bruce came back, he found Jason stealing his tires. You aren't the first child with sticky fingers to walk these halls." 

She didn't say anything for a while, letting that sink in. She honestly didn't understand why they were pretending what happened between her, Wayne, and Drake was all _water under the bridge._ "Working with the Joker was always really messy. I _hated_ working with him. He almost got me killed that last time...well _Batman_ and Falcone's pet pi-sorry _officer_ almost killed me. But still."

"You'd worked with the Joker before?" Alfred asked. 

"Yeah, he paid well," Sera said. "And he could get _huge_ guns for me sometimes. Like _serious_ heavy ammunition. Like scary big." 

Alfred stopped and looked at her incredulously, his eyebrows drawing together. "You aren't serious?" 

"I am! Before the cops raided my teacher's apartment, I had a whole closet filled with _huge_ illegal weapons. I never used them on people but..." "It's like having a vintage car that doesn't run. Cool to have."

They fell into silence while Alfred went back to chopping vegetables. He was shaking his head, muttering something British under his breath. "Well, there will be _no_ weaponry in this house, I hope you know," he finally told her.

"Not like I could get my hands on one _now,"_ she defended. "Not even the illegal ones they sell like candy on the streets. I've been blackballed." 

"Their opinion of you no longer matters, Miss Willams." 

"I disagree," Sera said with a snort. "Especially now that people are trying to put me six feet under." She made a vaguely Italian gesture. "Sleeping with the fishes," she said. 

Alfred pressed his lips tightly together. "No harm will come to you under this roof." 

Sera knew that no one else found her dark humor funny, so she just shrugged and looked back down at her French. Ugh. She wrote a few sentences down, slowly pronouncing the foreign words. She yelped when Alfred spun her around and knelt in front of her. He was looking into her eyes and squeezed her knee. 

"I will _never,_ allow them to harm you again." He slowly let go and stood up. "You are safe here, Sera."

* * *

Sera had the misfortune of being watched by Damian much later in the afternoon. He was pretty mean to her, but Sera got the feeling that Damian was mean to _everyone._ But, he also had a dog, so he couldn't be all bad.

"What do you do all day, besides sponging off our family?" Damian demanded harshly, wheeling her through the hall. 

"Honestly? Nothing," she shrugged. "Can you take me outside?" She asked. Damian looked at her strangely before rolling his eyes and turning her around. He grumbled the entire way, but Sera was ecstatic when she was passed the sliding glass door and sitting under the large tree, surrounded by purple wildflowers that the gardeners hadn't been able to cut, now that Wayne wasn't allowed to have staff come and work on the yards. Lucky for Sera. 

If she could, Sera would spend the rest of her life in that garden. Damian had his phone and seemed content to leave the girl to her thoughts. She closed her eyes, listening to the bird calls above her head. Sera wondered what they might be talking about. Birds didn't have bills, or laws, or responsibilities. Being a bird must have been so simple. No one expected birds to make hard choices. Or to do the right thing. Or shoot people. 

Damian was getting restless, pacing around the grass, kicking a rock, watching a caterpillar eat a leaf. They'd only been outside for twenty minutes, and she didn't think that Damian would be able to hold out much longer. Ten minutes, if she was lucky. Sera wished Damian had put her in the grass, at least, but she didn't think it was appropriate to ask at that point. Especially when every so often she could feel him giving her annoyed looks. 

"We can go back now if you want," she said around the fifth time she felt his glare on the back of her neck.

Damian grunted and grabbed the handles of her chair, pulling her back toward the house. Sera's head turned and she looked longingly toward the tree where the birds still chirped animatedly to each other. Damian opened the sliding glass door before pushing her inside and locking it behind them. 

Of all the Waynes she'd met thus far-which amounted to exactly two-Damian disliked her the most. He was mature for his age, and he never said it out loud, but she could see it in his eyes. When he thought Sera wasn't looking, he'd glare daggers at her. He avoided her whenever possible. And when they were forced to spend time in each other's company, he scarcely said a word to her. And Sera understood why. All things considered, Sera was lucky Damian hadn't enacted some kind of vengeance on her for what she'd done to his father and brother. 

"We're going to the library," he said. Sera shrugged. Not that she had a choice or anything. He stopped in front of a large bookcase, eyes flying over the hundreds of titles before he grabbed on and handed it to her. "Read this and stay quiet." Damian left her to go sit at a large desk on the other side of the room. Sera assumed that he had homework. 

_The Adventures of Robinhood._ Sera frowned, she'd only seen the Disney movie once, but she grasped the concept. Sera also stole from the rich, but that never went toward helping anyone else other than her teacher. She didn't want to read it, but what else was she supposed to do? Sera got four chapters in before there was a knock at the door. 

Alfred opened it from the outside, so Agent Keener could walk inside. He looked the same as when they saw each other two days prior. Keener gave Sera an unpleasant smile and waved his fingers at her. "Heyyo, Sera, mind if you and I have a little chat?" He asked, sauntering over and leaning over her, hands on his knees. Sera said nothing, looking away from him. Keener straightened his tie and smiled brightly at Damian. "Mind giving us some privacy, champ?" He asked. 

Damian bristled and his fingers tightened around the pen he was using. "We've very strict orders not to leave her alone," he said. 

"Well, she won't be." Keener looked at Alfred who gave Damian a resigned gesture of his hand. The thirteen-year-old stood and glared as fiercely as he could toward the FBI agent. He left with stiff shoulders following behind Alfred. Keener walked to the door and made steady eye contact with Sera, before slowly locking the door. 

* * *

Damian was watching on a computer monitor in the Batcave. He watched Keener circle Williams, who was watching the man with mistrustful eyes. 

_"I don't think you've been completely honest with me, Sera."_

_"Why's that?"_

_"Maybe I should rephrase,"_ Keener said, circling her." _We know you're hiding information from us."_

 _"I'm not though, why would I do that? I came to you guys on my own, remember?"_ She looked up at him in confusion. 

_"Yes, yes, I remember. I'm sure the very lenient deal with the DA helped make that decision, didn't it?"_ His smile was still relatively pleasant, but Damian could still see the dangerous edges in his face. 

_"It did help, yes,"_ she confessed with gritted teeth. 

_"For this to work, Sera, you and I need to be honest with each other. So..."_ He flopped down on a chair and leveled her with an uneasy smile. _"How about you tell me about John Kacey."_

 _S_ he turned white as a sheet, even from the computer Damian could tell that Williams had been caught off guard. He leaned forward in his chair, watching her more carefully. 

_"I don't see how that's relevant."_ Her voice shook like she was on the verge of tears. 

He sighed and slowly stood, walking closer to Sera. _"I thought we were being honest, Sera," h_ e said. His hand shot out and he grabbed the girl by her hair and yanked her head to the side. _"Did you kill him Sera? We might have to rethink everything if you did."_ He let go, pushing her head away from him. 

_"Please...it's not what you think," s_ he said. 

_"Really? Let me let you in on a little secret. If I wanted to, I could have you whisked away from here and put in an FBI black site where_ no one _would ever know what happened to you. Not that they'd care, if we're honest."_ He shrugged. _"You were the last person to see Kacey alive."_

_"How would you possibly know that?"_

_"Because he worked for us girlie,"_ he said. "There _was radio silence on his end_ after _Elijah Cole told him to watch you. Never heard from him again."_

_"What a shame."_

Keener's smile turned predatory. " _He was going to turn Cole in, wasn't he? Cole told you to take care of him, it was a test of loyalty, wasn't it?!"_ He asked, his voice mirroring sympathy, but with obvious mockery. Damian watched her shoulders shake and she turned her head away from him. He grabbed her roughly by the chin and jerked her head back. _"It was you or him, right? What else were you supposed to do?"_

 _"Shut up,"_ she growled, smacking his hand away. _"You don't know what you're talking about."_

_H_ e ran his thumb gently across her cheek and chuckled. _"Where'd you put the body?"_ He asked. When she didn't respond he drew back his hand and smacked her. " _Where?!"_ He screamed in her face.

 _"Stop! Let go! Alfred!" S_ he screamed. 

Damian saved the video. No doubt Keener was going to try and erase it at some point. Alfred was too far from the door to hear her. They'd never imagine a man of the law would smack a little girl right in front of security cameras. If it was anywhere else but his own house, Damian would have already been in his costume and had Keener out cold. Damian hated what he was seeing. Wretched criminal she maybe, she was still small. Still just a child. 

Damian picked up his phone and called his father. It rang three times. _"Why are you calling me? I'm upstairs in my office, Damian."_

"Agent Keener just smacked Williams in the face. He had more questions about a man named John Kacey. His interrogation has gotten disturbingly violent. They're in the library. I'd suggest you intervene." 

The line went dead and Damian turned to the monitor again. He grit his teeth when Keener got in Williams' face, demanding answers. He had her by the hair, yanking her around. At one point, Damian thought he was going to strangle her, but he didn't get the chance. Damian watched one camera where his father unlocked the door, then on the next camera, he walked into the room, looking angry. 

_"What the_ hell _are you doing?!"_

_"Mister Wayne-"_

_"Get out! Get out of my house, now!"_ Damian's father yelled, bitting anger in his voice and face. _"Don't you ever come here again. If the FBI needs to speak with Sera it'll be with me and my lawyers present."_

_"Of course...mister Wayne."_

Agent Keener gave Williams one last time before hurrying out of the room. Damian turned the computer off and spun around in his chair. So, potentially, Williams was not only a thief but a murderer as well. But Damian's instincts told him that it was a much more complicated story than a test of loyalty. Damian didn't think Williams was evil, or even particularly deviant. Damian's father was going to watch the footage. 

Damian found himself in the kitchen, where both Pennyworth and his father were fussing over Williams, who seemed on the verge of tears. There was a clear red mark on her cheek from where Keener had smacked her. She was refusing to let Pennyworth check her face. He was too gentle. Damian walked over and gently pushed the old man out of the way. 

He grabbed Williams by the chin and lifted her head. His grip wasn't painful, or rough, but both adults in the room instantly scolded him for it. But Williams wasn't trying to fight him, so he didn't let go. "Open your mouth," he ordered her sternly. She glared at him and Damian raised an eyebrow. 

Williams slowly opened her mouth and Damian heard his father hiss in displeasure at the same time Pennyworth gasped. Keener had knocked one of her back teeth out and her mouth was filled with blood. Damian let her go and took a step back so the adults could take over. He saw Williams giving him a pleading look, so he decided to stay with her while she was being attended to. 

Pennyworth had to pull out the first-aid kit. Williams needed stitches. Damian watched her fingers tighten around the armrest of her chair with each poke through her gums. Damian almost wished she would cry. It was rather unsettling to see a child try as hard as she could not to cry when someone was causing her pain. Another thing Elijah Cole must have used to torment her. 

"We're pressing charges," Damian's father said, standing straighter. 

"No," Williams insisted. 

"I understand that you don't trust police officers, Sera, but this is a situation that we _have_ to report," he knelt in front of her and looked her intensely in the eyes. Williams turned her head away and glared at the wall. "Look at me," he ordered. He waited until she did. "People should not be allowed to use their power to hurt other people." 

"Whatever," she muttered. 

Damian watched his father rise and sigh. He touched William's shoulder. "Damian, why don't you take Sera to the living room. Watch a few movies, then go to bed." 

"As you wish," the young man said. He took her through the halls, and opened a heavy wooden door with his hip, and pulled her into the room. Damian set her beside the couch and turned on the television. "What would you like to watch?" He asked her. 

She looked at him ferocious venom in her eyes. Damian found it quite amusing. "I literally couldn't care less," she hissed, turning her head away. "Honestly, I'd rather you just took me to my room." 

"You're on a set sleeping schedule," Damian informed her. "You have to go to bed at nine. It's important for your health." He cycled through the streaming services on the TV. Grayson had been watching anime on Hulu so Damian shrugged and turned on Fruits Baskets. He sat down next to her on the couch and folded one leg over the other. He looked at her. She was refusing to watch the television, a sour look on her young face. Damian rolled his eyes and bitterly wondered if that was how he used to behave when he was younger.

"I..." her voice caught in her throat. Damian looked at her, pausing the show. "I never actually got to tell your brother I was sorry," she said. 

Damian was confused for a moment before he remembered. "Yes, I suppose Drake must still be a bit sore about that." 

"And he has every right to be." She looked like she wanted to curl in on herself. She looked _exhausted._

Damian watched her for a few seconds, blinking slowly. "Would you _like_ to apologize to him?" Damian asked. She nodded and looked down at her hands. Damian pulled out his phone he held it out to her and she looked at him in alarm. "What?" He asked her. 

"I can't just _call_ him," she said, breathlessly. 

"Why not?" He asked. 

"This is something that has to be done in person. I...I can't just _call him_ and say 'sorry that I-'" She cut herself off and looked at him with wide eyes. Her face cracked and Damian prayed that she wouldn't start crying. "It's just not a good idea." 

"Fair enough," Damian said with a shrug. They fell back into silence and Damian pressed play. Williams seemed to be invested in it, so Damian figured that he'd picked the right show. He thought that maybe he should ask Grayson for advice. He was better at 'feelings' than anyone else in the family. 

Damian saw her head fall to the side from the corner of his eyes. He saw that she was knocked out, in deep sleep. Damian sighed. He knew that it was important for her health to keep to her sleeping schedule, but he didn't think it was necessary to wake her up. And she'd had a trying encounter with Keener. It was only five in the afternoon, but maybe the extra sleep would do her good. It would be good for her mental wellbeing, at any rate. 

Damian rolled her to her room. He stopped by her bed and gently lifted her in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He pulled the blankets up to her chin and watched her for a moment. "Tch," he grunted. He left her, closing the door and turning out the lights. 


End file.
